The Relic
by sheilabes
Summary: Harry wakes up in a cave, in a containment circle. A dark wizard wants him to do a job for him but Harry refuses. The dark wizard let's Harry know in no uncertain terms that he either obey, or the ones he cares about will be hurt beginning with Bob.
1. Chapter 1

The Relic

The Relic

Chapter 1

It was October in Chicago and unseasonably warm. Usually around this time of year it was bitter cold and made you want to sit by a hot fire, eat chili and just stay in doors. The trees were changing and you could see bursts of gold, red and yellow's all over the place, making the city look like a picture post card. The wind blew hard, as it always did in Chicago and the waters of the Great Lakes splashed lazily to shore. It was a beutiful time and a beutiful place, at least for most. For Harry Dresden, however, things were testy to say the least.

He was a wizard, Harry, as the sign on his door stated. He was the only one in the city, which made him a target of pun and ridicule, as well as curiosity and wonder. People didn't believe in wizards these days. They saw things that were unable to be explained, but their minds just couldn't wrap around magic as and answer, so they turned their heads and looked the other way.

It didn't bother Harry, however, because he was use to it. People tended to not believe things they couldn't explain. He'd been called all kinds of things, and it didn't bother him one bit. Well it did a little but he didn't have time to worry about what people thought. This particular day he really didn't have time.

He woke up in a fog. He didn't remember what had happened to him. He didn't know why his head was pounding like it was. All he did know was that he was in trouble. It was the story of his life, but this time, the story got a little strange, even for him.

He looked around. He was in a cave and he was freezing to death, despite the warm weather outside. His staff had been taken away, along with his protection bracelet, and his rod. He was in a containment circle, and unbroken circle that held him in place. He pressed up against the side but was knocked back. The circle was his prison. He couldn't get out. He didn't know who put him there, or where he was, but one thing he did know was that he was in trouble, serious trouble. "So what else is new," he muttered to himself. "What else is new?"

"Hello Wizard." Harry turned toward the direction that the voice was coming from. At first, all he saw was a shadow. He wasn't sure yet, whether that shadow was a man or a creature.

The being walked into the dim light of the cave, and Harry saw that it was indeed a man. He was tall, with jet black hair and eyes the color of coal. He wore almost the same thing that Harry wore, a dark shirt, dark jeans, but he wore tennis shoes instead of boots. He wore a long coat that came down to his calves, which was also dark. Harry's eyes drifted down to the bag that the man had in his hand.

"Who are you? How did I get here? Let me out!" He hit the barrier with his fist but knew it would do no good. He shoved against the shield that was holding him inside, but he just got knocked back. He glared at the man before him and bared his teeth as he said, "What do you want?"

At first the man said nothing. He simply watched as Harry continued to push against the containment circle, hoping that he would be able to get free, but it was no use. The man's powers were strong. The man shook his head, a slight grin playing on his lips. "You can not get away. You might as well relax." Harry didn't want to relax. He wanted out, and he wanted out now. "What the hell do you want? Who are you?"

The man was making Harry nervous. Unlike others, he was staring straight into his eyes. Most people always looked anywhere but into a wizard's eyes, but this man, however, seem to enjoy what he saw.

"Who I am is none of your concern. You're here because you are going to do a job for me."

"I don't think so," said Harry, but became even more nervous as the man brought the bag he held, over to him. "You will," the stranger said.

"I've already said no. I won't do anything that you want me to do. Not until I get some answers." Harry had no idea what the man wanted but one thing that he was sure of, was that if he had to kidnap him to get what he wanted, it was something that he didn't want to be a part of.

The man didn't say a word. He simply took the object out of the bag. Harry just stared. "Wait a minute," he said as the man pulled the skull out that contained Bob's spirit. Bob had once been a mighty wizard, but he had been cursed and was forced to live eternity in his own skull. He now served Harry, but he was also Harry's friend.

"Does this change your mind wizard?" The man glared. Harry winced and swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He glared right back at the man that was standing before him. He tried one more time. "Who are you?"

The man took a deep breath, his patience beginning to wear thin. "My name is Aiden and that is all that you need to know. I will tell you this. I am a wizard like yourself, but I am a wizard of the dark and your friend Bob here, is going to be in a world of trouble if you do not do as you are told."

Harry shook his head. He knew that Bob could be destroyed. All that had to be done was to crush Bob's skull and he would be no more. He wasn't sure, but he thought that there was a way that Bob could also be hurt. He looked at the skull. Aiden lifted his eyebrows. "Have I changed your mind?"

"I won't work for you. The White Council would have my head if I did." The White Council was always looking for a way to find Harry guilty of sins against them. If that ever happened there would be no trial. Harry would just be executed and in the most painful way possible.

"I will have your head if you don't and I'm a whole lot scarier than the White." He placed the skull on the floor. "Come out ghost," he commanded. The skull glowed and Bob came out. He looked around knowing that he was no longer in the apartment. He took in his surroundings and then his eyes fell on his friend. "Harry?"

"Bob, you alright?" Harry was glad to see that for now he looked like he was.

"Yes of course. Are you?" Harry nodded. Bob looked at Aiden. "YOU!" he proclaimed, suddenly alarmed.

"Hello Bob. How's life treating you."

Bob looked at Harry in the containment circle. He closed his eyes. Harry had no idea who had him, or what he was up against. Bob did though and it scared him.

What do you think? Please read and review.

Sheila


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks everyone. I'm glad you like it so far. Here is the next chapter.

Chapter 2

"Wait, you know him?" Bob looked nervously at Harry and Harry had to admit that he'd never, ever saw Bob like that before. It made him even more afraid.

"Bob here has known me for generations wizard. I don't die. Isn't that just too bad for you. You, on the other hand, can die, now answer my question. Have I changd your mind about helping."

Harry swallowed again but didn't answer.

"Aiden listen," said Bob. "Don't hurt him."

"Then he better agree to help or I'll do more than hurt him."

"If you do," Bob trailed off.

"Do not threaten me Bob. You're just a spirit. You can not do anything but watch, now I'll just leave you two alone for awhile." He walked up to the containment circle and looked at Harry on the inside but he spoke to Bob. "If you know what's good for him, you better convince him. It would be a whole lot easier for him if you did." He turned to look into Bob's face, and sensed the anger coming off of him. He couldn't help it. He had to laugh at the irony. "When I come back I want his answer and Harry, I have Bob's skull with me so do not try anything because Bob can't go anywhere. I know what you're thinking and you are right, there is a way to hurt a ghost. Don't make me have to show you what that way is." Aiden turned on his heels and left the two alone.

Bob walked over to his friend. "Are you alright Harry?"

"Yeah but how do you know him?"

"It's a long story. I don't really want to talk about it."

"You don't want to talk about it? Are you kidding me? Talk about it! That's an order!"

"Harry he's very powerful and he is virtually unstoppable."

"Who the hell is he?"

"Harry."

"Who is he Bob? Spill it!" Bob turned away and walked toward the opening of the cave. He had hoped that Aidan had been destroyed a long time ago. He had hoped that he would never have to see the man again. Once again however, he found out that fate and destiny were a bitch to beat. He whirled to face Harry, suddenly angry. "He's a dark wizard."

"Oh really? Well I got that part. What the hell does he want with me? If he is so powerful why don't he just go get what he wants?"

" He's got part of what he wants already. He's got you." Bob froze. He didn't mean to say those words outloud. He wished they wasn't true. Harry just stared at him not saying a word for fear of what that word would be.

"He is very powerful Harry. Don't be a fool. It might be best for you to just help him."

"Excuse me," Harry cleaned out his ears, thinking that surely he'd heard his friend wrong. "You want me to help him." Bob shook his head. "I don't want you to help him but he'll get you to anyway."

"Bob look, how do I get out of here. I need my staff. I need my blasting rod and my protection bracelet. I've fought the dark before. It's what I do." Bob looked sorrowfully at his friend. "There is only one way to stop him."

"How? Bob tell me, then help me figure out how to get the hell out of this damn prison, so I can get us both the hell out of here." Bob opened his mouth to say something but before he could, Aiden came back inside.

He carried a staff of his own and pointed it at Bob who backed up. "Now we can't be telling Harry all the secrets can we?" Bob closed his mouth. Aiden sat Bob's skull on the table beside him and pointed his staff at it. He shot the skull dead center and Bob, feeling the fire from it, screamed out in pain and hit his knees.

"Bob!" Harry pushed up against the shield. "Stop it! Let me out of here!" Aiden whirled and pointed the staff at Harry. He froze and quickly closed his mouth. The thing about the circles is that they can keep whoever is trapped inside it from getting out, but they can still let other things inside, like fire and electricity from a staff. Aiden shot that at Harry now, and knocked him back against the side of the circle. He screamed out in pain and also hit his knees.

"Stop! Don't hurt him anymore!" Bob got shakily to his feet and looked at his friend. Harry was still on all fours.

"What's your answer wizard?"

"What...do you...want?"

"The Relic." Aiden walked over to his prisoner. Harry was trying hard to catch his breath. "Get up!" Harry stayed where he was. He wasn't even sure he could get up. The blast was powerful and he felt his insides burning. Aiden whirled angrily and pointed the staff at Bob's skull again prepared to blast it for the second time.

"WAIT!" Yelled Harry. "Ok!" Aiden lowered the staff and Harry struggled to his feet. "Let me out and we'll talk about it." Aiden raised an eyebrow and roared. "You're not going anywhere but you're right, we will talk about it."

"What kind of relic?"

"You don't need to know that. Are you going to help me voluntarily or not?" Harry looked at Bob. "What does it do?" Aiden took a breath and said, "It will make me all powerful. Whoever owns the relic, it is there's to command. There is nothing that that person can not do. What is your answer?" Harry looked at Bob once again. He chewed his bottom lip nervously. He could see that if the relic fell into the wrong hands, what kind of damage it could do. He could see the White Council, finally getting what they wanted and executing him, without even a trial.

"The Relic is a crown," continued Aiden, "and whoever wears that crown rules the underworld." He turned to look at Harry. "Does that answer your question?"

"Um, yeah," replied Harry nervously, "it does."

"So?"

Harry shook his head. He looked at Bob and Bob knew what his answer was going to be. He closed his eyes and knew what was coming. One of the things he knew about Aiden was that Aiden didn't like to be told no. Harry was about to refuse and God help them both when he did.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Murphy sat at her desk and cursed. She had been trying to reach Harry all day but all she got was a damn ringing phone. He wasn't there and it pissed her off. She slammed the phone down. "Son of a bitch!" she proclaimed as her partner came inside. Murphy was a leutinent for the Chicago PD. She worked in the Special Investigations department and used Harry whenever there was a case that the police couldn't explain. They had one like that now but unfortunately, the only wizard in Chicago had decided to take a damn vacation.

"Still no luck huh?" Murphy looked at Carmichael, her glare, telling him all that he needed to know.

"He has a right to take off if he wants to Murph."

"He never takes off, Carmichael, Never!" She picked up the phone and dialed the number again then slammed it down and cursed again when there was still no answer.

"Give me your answer Dresden, now. I'm loosing my patience." Aiden began to pace, a sure sign he was getting agitated. When Harry still didn't say anything, Aiden walked back over to the skull.

"Um Harry," Bob watched as the wizard stroked the skull then grin wickedly at the both of them.

"I put a spell on this. I've made it sort of like a lightning rod from the skull to the owner of it." He turned to Harry and looked at him, eyes dark and cold. "Everything I do to the skull, I do to Bob. Would you like for me to demonstrate?" Harry shook his head.

"Just wait, Ok?" Aiden glared. He snapped his fingers and a large black cauldron appeared in the cave. It was boiling with some type of hot liquid in it.

"Harry," said Bob, getting nervous. He knew the spell well and he was about to be in a whole hell of a lot of pain. Aiden could make it last forever. Bob was already dead, so he couldn't die. Aiden could torture and torment him until he got tired of the whole thing and there wouldn't be a minute of peace. Trouble was, Aiden never got tired of torture and torment. Never.

Aiden brought the skull over to the cauldron and turned it upside down. He looked at Harry and grinned, and then he stuck the tip of the skull into the boiling liquid. Bob screamed bloody murder and grabbed his head. Harry gathered himself and called all the energy he could manage, to his center. He may not be able to get out of the damn circle, but he could send things out of the circle. He concentrated and focused.

"If you do that wizard, you'll never see Bob again. It's your choice." Harry stopped and licked his lips. Bob was in serious pain and Aiden didn't look like he was planning on stopping. He didn't have a choice. "OKAY!" He stopped. "Stop hurting him!" Aiden stopped. Bob lay on the ground panting.

"Is that a yes?"

Harry didn't have a choice. God help him but he didn't have a choice. He nodded. Aiden grinned.

"Now let me out."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Harry glared wanting so much to answer the bastard, but he was thinking that if he could get out, he could get to Aiden and then he could rescue Bob. Aiden grabbed the skull in his hand and walked back over to the containment circle. "You have no intentions of helping me, do you?" Harry didn't answer. He didn't have too.

"Too bad for you and him." He closed his eyes and spoke another language. "Ventirio frugus," he said and the shadows of the cave came alive.

"Shit," proclaimed Harry and watched as the shadows circled his prison.

"Harry has decided not to help me." It looked like the shadows were actually listening to him. "We're going to have to make him change his mind."

Harry wasn't sure but he could swear that the shadows actually seemed to like that idea. They liked it a lot, apparently, and Harry groaned inwardly. "I won't."

"You will. It is inevetible." Harry watched as Aiden took out a doll.

"Don't hurt him," ordered Bob, seeing what he had in his hand. "I mean it." Aiden looked at Bob and raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do about it ghost?" As he spoke the shield was lowerd. Immediatately Harry began to focus, but before he could do anything, Aiden squeezed the doll's chest. Harry screamed and grabbed his own chest, the pain unbearable. Aiden wouldn't let up and Bob thought that he was going to kill his friend.

"Stop!" Bob took a step and threw a punch, but it just went through Aiden, not touching him. Harry hit the ground, panting hard. He could hardly catch his breath. He thought he would die. Just when he didn't think he could take anymore, Aiden stopped. Harry just lay there. The shadows floated over and jerked him to his feet. They slammed him in a chair and the wizard placed a set of cuffs that Harry's power could not break through on his wrists.. They were magic and not something that he could just get out of.

"Aiden, please!" pleaded Bob when he saw the pain that Harry was in. "Leave him alone!" Aiden ignored Bob and got in Harry's face. "Watch wizard and don't miss a thing. Let me know when you change your mind." He turned to Bob who backed up once again all the while thinking that this was wrong. This was very wrong.

Aiden took a rope and tied it through the eyes of the skull. He walked back over to the cauldron. The grey liquid bubbling and popping. Harry swallowed and watched as Aiden lowered Bob's skull into the liquid. Bob screamed. He was on fire. He'd never felt so much pain in his life. "GOD!" he yelled. Harry glared. He panted but he threw his mind at the other wizard and hit home. Aiden screamed at the contact but not in pain. It was rage and he whirled on Harry. "BRING THE GIRL!"

"What?" asked Harry afraid all over again. He watched in horror as Susan was pushed into the room.

"NO!" Harry tried to jump to his feet, but was pushed back down. Aiden grinned. He'd struck home and he knew it. Between Bob and Susan, Harry would do anything that he was told to do. He was right.

"Alright!" he yelled. "Just wait!" He watched as Bob's skull was removed from the cauldron, giving Bob a little relief. Susan's hands were tied behind her back and she had a gag in her mouth. Aiden nodded and she was placed in another circle. He turned to Harry. "Now that I have your attention."

Harry looked from Bob to Susan and back again. He shook his head. Aiden casually walked over to Harry who looked up into eyes that were pure evil. "Now what do you say wizard," Aiden asked. "Do I have to take turns hurting them both before you decide to help me, because I really don't mind."

"Listen," said Harry almost pleading but he was cut off as Aiden grabbed him by the hair of the head and forced it back. He winced in pain. "NO! You listen. You will do as I say. Understand?" Harry closed his eyes and pushed down the panic. He didn't have a choice.

"What do you want me to do?" Aiden looked at the resignation on Harry's face and grinned knowing that soon he would have The Relic and then no one could stop him.

"Very good," he said and let go of Harry's hair. Harry panted, the pain in his chest, for some reason, not letting up. He looked at Bob who was also having trouble, and Susan, whom they hadn't even started on yet and didn't have a choice.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Aiden walked over to the circle that contained Susan. Harry jumped to alert. "Leave her alone," he warned. "I said I'd do it!!"

"So you did." Aiden looked at him over his shoulder and grinned evilly, and then he waved his hand and the circle vanished, Susan and all. Harry just stared. How could he have been such and idiot. He grimaced at the dark wizard that was now standing right in front of him.

"You didn't have her?"

"No, the girl was just an illusion." He waited a beat. "But it's nice to know that you care so much about her." He leaned down into Harry's face. "I have people who are watching her." Harry opened his mouth to say something but the look Aiden gave, made him close it again. "She don't know it, and she never will, not unless you cross me wizard. If that happens she will know all too well that she's being watched." Harry's eyes went stone cold. His voice low and dangerous. "If you hurt her..." He trailed off, leaving the meaning clear.

"I won't, unless you make me." He was almost satisfied that he had Harry right where he wanted him. Almost. He turned to look at Bob. "Get back in your skull."

Bob glared at the man and stood where he was. This act of defiance angered Aiden and he sneered. "Get back in your skull, now!" Bob didn't haven't a choice. He took one look at Harry and disappeared back in his skull. Aiden took it and placed it back in the bag that hung from his neck. When he turned back to Harry he had to smirk. "If looks could kill," he thought. Now, he had Harry right where he wanted him.

"You cross me wizard and you will never see Bob again. Understand." He said it so cold that Harry figured that not only was Aiden a dark wizard but he was a psychotic dark wizard. He could never let him get his hands on that crown, but he'd never let him know that. It would mean all their deaths if Aiden knew what Harry was planning.

He didn't have a choice, at least not yet, so reluctantly he relented. "Where is it?"

Aiden grinned. He touched the cuffs that had Harry shakled to the chair and they released. Slowly Harry brought his hands around in front of him and rubbed his wrists. He stood to his feet and glared at Aiden as angry and dangerous as a cocked gun. It didn't go unnoticed. "Do you want to kill me wizard? Now what would the White Council think about that?"

"Just tell me where the hell The Relic is so I can go and get the damn thing, but I swear Aiden if you hurt anyone that I care about, you won't be able to run far enough."

"Do not threaten me Dresden. I'm not impressed."

"It's not a damn threat. It's a promise. I'll hunt you down and..."

"You will not do anything but what you are told, do I make myself clear? You are my puppet and I pull the strings. Do not forget that." Aiden words where also low and just as dangerous and Harry thought it best to go along, for now."

"Fine."

"Good," declared Aiden and motioned for him to come over to the table. There was a scroll on the top of it but Harry couldn't read the words. "A demon has the crown." Aiden looked steadily into Harry's eyes, again not even flinching. "I want it." Harry looked up to heaven as if looking for some divine intervention. A demon, he thought. That was just great. Last time he went against a demon it almost killed him. He still couldn't believe that Morgan had bothered to save his life. He wondered where Morgan was now. He hadn't busted his chops in a few days. He wondered what was up with that.

He winced as Aiden hit him hard across the face. "Pay attention!" he ordered. "The demon knows you Harry. I'm pretty sure he wants to kill you."

"What the hell else is new," answered Harry disgustedly. "it's the story of my life." Aiden grinned. He sure loved the spirit of the game. Especially when he came out on top and usually he did, most of the time. He told Harry to find the demon and he would find the crown.

"I need my staff, my rod and my protection bracelet back." Aiden laughed as if he'd said the stupidest thing.

"Forget that." Harry looked at him like he was crazy. Aiden expected him to go up against a demon with no tools, no protection?

"I'd never win without my things."

"That's your problem wizard. You'll not get anything that you could use against me."

"I won't try anything! Not since you have Bob and are watching Susan. That demon will kill me and you'll never get what you want."

Aiden's eyes turned cold and Harry involuntarily stepped back. "I will get what I want. I don't care how you get it but get it! The lives of your friends are at stake. You have 48 hours."

"What! That's not enough time. I can't do it in 48 hours. Come on!"

"It's all you get Dresden." He grabbed him by the wrist and clamped something down on it before Harry could jerk his hand away.

"What the hell is that," he asked starring at the gold bracelet firmly around his wrist.

"It's a way I can keep tabs on you. You can not get out of that unless I let you. I'll know, if you try to cross me Harry and somebody you care about will be hurt. Keep your mouth shut and do your job and maybe, I'll let Bob go and leave the girl alone. Do not let Morgan or the White know what's going on. I don't have the time to put up with them. If they find out, all bets are off and I destroy Bob." With that he held his hand in front of Harry. "Go to sleep," he orderd. A blue light shot out of the wizard's hand and into Harry's head and he was out for the count.

When Harry woke up again he would be back at his apartment. Aiden waited in anticipation and thought of all the things he would do when he was all powerful.


	5. Chapter 5

Here is the update for. Hope you all enjoy it. I just wanted to let everyone know that I have a MySpace now and would love for you all to come over and be my friends. The URL is on my profile or just send me a message and I'll give it to you. Thanks again.

Sheila

Chapter 5

Harry woke up back in his apartment. At first he thought that the whole thing was just a dream but when he saw the gold bracelet on his wrist he knew it wasn't. His head pounded like no tomorrow and his chest had a heaviness that wouldn't let up. All in in, he thought, he felt like shit.

He struggled to his feet and had to hold on to the bed post for balance until the wave of dizziness and nausea passed. Even though it wouldn't do any good, he went down into the basement to yell for Bob. Of course he wasn't there. Aiden still had him. He put on coffee to percolate and sat down, placing his head in his hands. "How do I get myself into these things," he thought.

"I guess you're just unlucky that way," Harry's head jerked up and he looked around quickly. Morgan was standing before him. "Oh shit," he thought and remembered what Aiden said. "If Morgan and the White Council find out what's going on, all bets are off and you'll never see Bob again and we'll hurt the girl."

"Morgan?"

"Harry, I have to say you look like crap. What's going on?" Harry got to his feet and walked around.

"Nothing, I just have a headache." Morgan walked up to Harry and Harry took a step back. "Now do you really expect me to believe that? How do you get yourself into what kinds of things?"

"Look Morgan, I just don't feel good so if you'll excuse me..."

"You look Dresden. If I find out that you're doing something that you have no business doing, I'm going to come after you, understand?" Harry didn't answer. He just stood there. After a few minutes, Morgan left and a knock was heard on his door.

"When the hell did this become Grand Central Station?" He ran up the stairs and looked at the front door. Murphy was on the other side and he winced at the look on her face. She was pissed, big time. "Great!" he proclaimed and went over to unlock the door.

"Hey Murph."

"Where the hell have you been? I've been calling you for hours." Harry rubbed his head, the headache suddenly getting worse.

"Sorry, I was asleep. I'm not feeling so good lately." Murphy stopped and stared at Harry. He did look a little peaked, she thought. She decided to let it go and calmed down. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah a little."

"Good, get your stuff and let's go."

"Go where?" He didn't have time to go trapesing off all over the place with Murphy right now. He had a crown to find and a friend to save and his 48 hours was dwindling down to nothing.

"I have a case. I need you to look at it."

"Murph,"

"Come on Harry. I need to know what happened. It don't look like a human killing. I need your opinion." She shifted impatiently from one foot to another.

"Murphy I can't. I already have something I'm working on."

"So work on both. Let's go." Before Harry could protest Murphy grabbed his jacket and shoved him toward the door. "What's this?" She looked down at the gold bracelet on his wrist. It didn't look like Harry. It was out of place. Harry cleared his throat and pulled his sleeve down over it. "Nothing," he said. "Let's go." He walked outside. For a few minutes Murphy just stared at him. "You ok?"

"I'm fine," said Harry but he wasn't. He didn't have time for this. He had things he needed to do before his friends got hurt. He remembered that Aiden had told him that the gold bracelet was a way to keep tabs on him. If that was so, now Aiden also knew about Murphy. "Hell," he thought. "This day just keeps on getting worse."

It's short but it's an update. I'll make the next one longer and since I do love messing with people's head's, thinks how long should I make them wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok now I guess I've made you all wait long enough. Here you go and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6

Murphy wouldn't let Harry drive, she insisted that he ride with her. He didn't know why but couldn't get out of it. They drove down to this motel in a shady part of town. Harry looked around and begin to fidget.

"Harry what the hell is the matter with you?"

"Nothing, I just don't feel good."

"Yeah you've already said that." They pulled up into the parking lot of the motel. Murphy just sat there for a minute staring at Harry, wondering what was wrong. He was as nervous as a cat. It wasn't like him at all. Murphy knew something wasn't right and she would find out what it was as soon as she got the chance.

Harry jumped out of the car and headed for the door where the crime scene tape had been placed. If he stayed there, Murphy would figure something out and then she would be in danger also. She was studying him like a germ under a slide. He went in the room. The CSI team had already been there and done what they needed to do and the coroner was waiting to take the body away.

As soon as he stepped inside the motel room, he sucked in a breath. He felt evil there. Pure, unadulterated evil. Murphy walked up but before she could enter the room, the door slammed shut on it's on.

"Harry!" She pounded on the door. She tried the knob but it was locked. "Dresden, open the door." Harry walked over to do just that but it wouldn't budge. He heard a noise and spun around. He was the only one in the room except for the body and suddenly he wasn't even in the room anymore. He was back in the cave. Aiden was standing over him, pointing his staff at him.

"You don't have time for that!"

"Don't I know it!" Harry started to pace but the look Aiden gave him made him stay where he was. Aiden spoke calmly but it was a direct contrast with what was on his face. He was angry and Harry knew that wasn't good.

"How did I get back here?"

"Magick," said Aiden and cocked his head. "That bracelet you're wearing helps me to pull you back whenever I feel like it and I feel like it. What are you doing with that cop? You don't have time to work on a case with her. You've been given your orders."

"I tried to tell her I couldn't, but she won't take no for an answer."

"Wizard let me make this clear. The only thing you are to work on is finding the relic. You have 44 more hours. That's it. Do I have to torture somebody for you to listen?"

"I tried," said Harry.

"Try harder." Aiden's voice was dead calm but his eyes were dark and cold. He called the shadows and they appeared carrying Bob's skull.

"What are you doing?"

"Showing you I mean business." He took the skull and set it on the floor. "Come out ghost." Bob's skull glowed and he appeared in the cave. Harry looked at his friend nervously. "Bob."

"Bob, Harry here is not doing as he is told. Do you know what that means?" Bob looked from Harry to Aiden and back again. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I think I do."

Aiden grinned and aimed the staff. Bob stepped back.

"Wait a minute," pleaded Harry. "I'll do the job. Don't hurt him. I'll find away to get rid of Murphy. Come on!"

"He's not the one I'm going to hurt wizard," said Aiden and spun around. He raised his hand. A blue light flew from his hand and hit Harry square in the chest. The blow knocked him back halfway across the room, and he hit his head hard on the cave wall and fell to the ground. He winced. His head was already killing him and the blow he just took made it hurt more. He felt blood trickle down the back of his neck. The blow made him dizzy and a little sick at his stomach. He knew that he had a concussion.

"HARRY!" yelled Bob and ran over to his friend.

Aiden spun around again and pointed his staff at Bob's skull. "Step back," he said. Bob did as he was told. Aiden lowered the staff. He glared at Harry. "Get busy doing what I told you to do or else!" He shot the skull, Bob grabbed his head and yelled out in pain.

"Alright!" Harry shook his head to try to clear it and suddenly he was back in the motel room. He felt like he had been gone for hours but knew it was only minutes because Murphy was still banging on the door. "Harry, open this damn door now!" Harry squeezed his eyes shut trying to push down the pain and got to his feet. "I'm coming." He felt the back of his head. It wasn't bleeding anymore but he had a large knot on it. He opened the door. Murphy was passed angry. "What is going on with you?"

"Murphy look, I can't do this right now. I've got something I've got to do and I have a deadline." He purposely refused to answer her question.

"Just tell me what you think killed him." Harry sighed and looked at the body. There was blood everywhere and his heart had been cut out of his chest. He bent down and closed his eyes. Evil was all around him. The room was so thick with it that it actually made Harry sick. It was beginning to take his breath away. Murphy reached down and touched him cautiously. Harry jumped at the contact and got to his feet.

"I don't know but I have an idea. Give me 24 hours to do some tests and I'll tell you tomorrow." Murphy scowled. She didn't like it but knew that there was no rushing Harry. He had to do whatever it is he did and so she relented.

"Ok, but only 24 hours. That's all the time you have." She told the coroner that it was ok to take the body. "Come on and I'll take you back to your apartment."

"No," said Harry a little to quickly. Murphy narrowed her eyes. "Harry.."

"I'll call you tomorrow Murphy," he left before she could say anything else. Murphy just shook her head and waited for the coroner to finish up.

Harry walked down the street. His apartment wasn't but a couple of miles. He was about to pass an alley but was grabbed and shoved inside. The demon was big. Almost 8 feet tall and had black eyes that bore into Harry's head making him wince. His head was beginning to pound again and all he could think was that he wished he had his tools, at least his staff and his protection bracelet, but he didn't and because he didn't, he knew he was in trouble. He opened his mouth to say the words that would make the demon at least let him go so that he could run but before he could, the demon placed a hand over his mouth and shook his head.

"You are not allowed to speak wizard, understand?" Harry looked into the demon's eyes and understood. He nodded and the demon removed his hand from his mouth and then shoved Harry on into the alley and over to a warehouse. He shoved him inside where another demon was waiting and told him to sit down. Harry swallowed and went over to sit down in the chair that was in the middle of the room.

"What do you..." The demon backhanded him and knocked him out of the chair, then jerked him to his feet and shoved him back into it. "You are not allowed to speak," he said again. Harry closed his mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Bob walked around the cave nervously and Aiden let him. As long as he had control of Bob's skull, he had control of Bob. He could not get away.

"Harry will never give you that Relic. Even if he did find it, you wouldn't get it so you might as well just let me go."

Aiden looked up at the ghost and sneered. "If he knows what's good for the people and ghosts he cares about he better."

Bob shook his head. "He won't do it." Aiden didn't answer him.

"How do you expect him to do anything without his wizard's tools. Those demons will kill him and you'll never get what you want."

"I'll get what I want ghost or else."

"You need to give him his tools." Bob tried to reason with the dark wizard but he knew Aiden and it wouldn't do any good. "How did you get free anyway. Last I checked you were trapped in a void."

"I got out, that is all you need to know and when I get the crown, all those that had a part in trapping me will pay. I'll be all powerful. No one will be able to defeat me."

"Harry won't give you the crown. He'll destroy it first."

"If he does then I'll destroy you and everyone he cares about." Bob shook his head. He knew there was no use reasoning with the man. He was drunk with power, always had been, and there was no talking to him.

In the warehouse, Harry was sitting in the chair in the middle of the room and the bigger of the two demon's was pacing before him like a tiger in a cage. Harry figured out that this must be the leader of the little group that was all over the room. When he was first brought in, he saw two, but now there was at least six or seven, all pissed and all looking at Harry like they could rip him to shreds. This day was getting better and better, he thought sarcastically.

Not only that but his head continued to pound and there was a heaviness on his chest that felt like bricks.

The leader of the demons walked up to him and hit him hard in the face.

"What the hell did you do that for," said Harry and was knocked out of the chair. He was jerked back to his feet and shoved down into the chair and the leader glared down at him like he'd just committed the unpardonable sin.

"I told you that you were not aloud to speak."

Harry swallowed hard and closed his mouth once again. He felt blood from what he figured was a busted lip and wiped it off with the back of his hand.

"Now that's better." He looked at Harry in disgust. "I should just kill you, you know that?" The demon sighed. "My name is Damon, wizard and you're in a world of trouble."

"So what else is knew," he thought. It was the story of his life. He rubbed his neck where he had been knocked out of the chair. It, on top of everything else, was also beginning to hurt. He looked up at the demon standing before him. The others was forming a circle around him. "Shit," he thought.

"I've heard a rumor wizard." Harry looked up into Damon's face. He wanted so much to tell him off, but he didn't need to get beat half to death or he'd never get out of there. He held his tongue.

"I heard that you are looking for a particular item." He looked down at Harry angrily. "Is it true?"

He decided to play dumb. "I..don't know...what you mean." He braced for the hit but it didn't come. After all, Damon did ask him a question did he not. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you do. The crown is a treasure. Whoever has it, has power beyond belief. That power is almost unstoppable. Why do you want it?" Harry decided not to answer. He didn't want to give the demons too much information. Damon just grinned. "I'll tell you what wizard, you find the crown and bring it to me, and I'll let you live. I want even torture you that much. What do you say?"

Harry shook his head. Ok so this wasn't the demon that had it. That was just great, he thought angrily. "If they didn't have it then who the hell did. Aiden said that a demon had it. Harry knew there was many demons and trying to find the right one was going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. He looked up at Damon and decided that he still was going to play dumb. He already had Aiden threatening him, he didn't need anybody else. "I don't..."

Damon screamed at him angrily. "Don't lie to me wizard!"

"I'm not lying. I don't know what you're talkiing about." Damon sneered at him and looked at those with him. Harry closed his eyes and with a burst of energy yelled, "Ventrio!" A blue light shot out from Harry and lit up the room. It knocked all the demon's back. Harry jumped to his feet and ran like hell. He had to get out of there. He knew that Damon wasn't going to be to happy when his head cleared. He ran for the door, but before he reached it, Damon lifted a hand and a burst of energy hit Harry in the back and knocked him into the wall. He crumpled to the ground and the other demons surrounded him. He was stunned but tried to speak the word again that would knock them back, but before he could he was hit across the face and almost lost consciousness.

Damon instructed those with him to pick him up. They did as they were told and jerked Harry to his feet, holding him between them. Damon got in his face. "Find the crown and bring it to me, or else." He nodded and the other's threw him out into the alley way. He got to his feet and ran. He had to get to his apartment and find out who had the Relic.


	8. Chapter 8

Hear's the update ya'll. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

Harry ran until he thought his lungs would burst from the effort it took. He kept looking over his shoulder, thinking that the demons were going to come after him again, or that Aiden would call him back to the cave. Neither happened, however, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, He was back at his apartment.

He ran inside and locked the door behind him. He said a protection spell so that anyone that wanted to hurt him could not come in. Finally he leaned up against the door and tried to catch his breath while he waited for the burning in his chest to go away.

He was home and he decided that home was a wonderful place to be. It was safe there. There was no one there that wanted him dead or harmed in anyway. When he was finally able to breathe again, he headed to his basement.

"BOB!"

He called for his friend, and hoped that he would be there but knew he wouldn't be. That son of a bitch Aiden still had him. He had to get him back and protect Susan and Murphy. Bob was his friend and he'd be damned if he was going to let Aiden keep him.

As far as the Relic or Crown, or whatever you called it, he would find it, and he would destroy it. There was no way in hell that he would turn that kind of raw power over to a dark wizard or to a demon club.

He looked down a the gold bracelet on his wrist. "Fureio!" he said and shook his hand, trying to get the thing off, but it didn't budge. It wouldn't work. He cursed. He had to get the thing off or his every movement would be monitored by Aiden. "DAMN," he proclaimed when he said the word again. The bracelet wasn't coming off.

That was not good. He walked over to a journal that he had written some spells in as he and Bob conjured them up. He hoped that he would be able to find something that could help him find the crown. A locator spell maybe or something similar, but then what? He knew he couldn't turn the Relic over to Aiden or the demons and he also knew that if he didn't do as he was told, he would watch as the dark wizard hurt his friends over and over again.

He felt like he was between the proverbial rock and a hard place and he didn't no what he was going to do. No matter what happened, somebody was going to get hurt.

He wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let his friends be the ones that got hurt. With a fierce determination, he looked all through the journal, trying to find something, anything, that he could use that would help him in his quest.

He could use dark magic himself, but then White Council would be on his ass. He heard a noise in the corner of his basement and turned toward it thinking "What now?" He threw his hands up and a blue light shot out from them and scorched the wall mere inches from Morgan's head.

"Shit!" said Harry. "Morgan!" He was about to curse him out for scaring the shit out of him but stopped when he saw his face. He was furious.

"Morgan wait," Dresden said and backed up. Morgan pulled his sword and pointed the tip at Harry's throat. He backed him to the wall. "Turn around Dresden," he orderd.

"Morgan listen, "

"Turn around!"

"I thought you were somebody else. I'm sorry!" Morgan just glared at him. Harry sighed and turned around.

"Drop the stick."

"I don't have the stick."

"Drop it!"

"Morgan I don't have it! I don't have my staff either, come on! That was an accident. I thought you were somebody else."

"Put your hands on the wall." Harry cursedd but did as he was told. Morgan searched him and found that he was telling the truth.

"Turn back around." Harry obeyed.

"Now go sit down."

"Morgan I don't have time..."

"Sit down Dresden." Resigned Harry obeyed. He knew he should never piss Morgan off. Harry held his own most of the time but Morgan could beat his ass and not even break a sweat. He waited.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Morgan paced back and forth in front of Harry. He was clearly not happy, in fact, Harry thought, he was thorougly pissed off.

"What the hell are you doing Dresden? You shot at me."

"I said I was sorry. I told you that I thought you were somebody else." Morgan stopped right in front of him and looked him in the face. "Morgan I don't have time for this."

"Who are you working for," said Morgan.

"The police department."

"Do you think I'm a fool?" He grabbed Harry's wrist, the one with the bracelet and lifted it up. He squeezed until Harry winced. "What is this? This isn't usually your style of accessories." Harry tried to jerk his hand away but Morgan held on tight. "I know what this is Dresden. It's only used by a dark wizard. Are you working for one of them, or are you turning to your dark side again?"

"Morgan..."

"Maybe I should take you to the White Council. They've been looking for a reason to execute you. Maybe this is it."

"I'm not turning to the dark and the White Council is always trying to find a reason to execute me. That's why they send you to bust my ass all the time." Morgan just grinned. "I have nothing better to do."

"Morgan I have to go." He attempted to get up but was shoved back down. "Maybe I should bring the White Council here."

"Shit Morgan come on!" Morgan pointed the tip of his sword at Harry's throat. He gulped and closed his mouth. "Maybe I should execute you myself." He lowered the sword. Harry shook his head. "You wouldn't. Then the White Council would be after you." Morgan thought a minute.

"You're probably right. That's too bad. Let's go."

"No." Harry closed his eyes and concentrated. He hoped to God that Morgan would understand what he was about to do, if not, he wouldn't stand a chance against the White, but he had to get to moving. Time was of the essence and his friends were in danger.

Behind Morgan, and without his knowledge a containment circle appeared. Harry opened his eyes.

"We're going to to the Council Dreseden. You might as well not fight it."

"I'm sorry Morgan but I can't." He looked into Morgan's eyes. "Fergio ventriious!" He lifted his hands, palms out and a light flew from them and hit Morgan square in the chest, knocking him back into the circle. He growled as he started to pound on the sides. He wouldn't be able to get out until Harry let him out. He glared at the wizard before him.

"You imprisoned me?" Morgan hit the side of the circle again. "Let me out of here!"

"I can't. I'm sorry but I have to go. I have something I need to do." He walked over to his journal and looked at the spell he needed. He hoped that everything worked out ok and that his friends would not be harmed.

He needed a gold medallion. He took the one that Susan had given him on their last date. He also needed a shot of red wine and he needed ashes from a recent fire. He gathered all his supplies and put them in a silver goblet, and put a top on it. He looked back at Morgan who was pacing the circle and shooting daggers in his direciton. "My ass is toast," thought Harry. He left and went upstairs to the living room.

He placed the goblet in a bag and closed his eyes. He hoped he was doing the right thing.

"AIDEN!" he yelled. When he opened them again, he was back in the cave. Aiden glared at him and picked up Bob's skull. Bob was pacing around the cave. "Bob, you ok?"

"I'm ok for now. You?"

"I don't know. I imprisoned Morgan." Bob looked at him like he was crazy. "You did what? Harry have you lost your mind?"

"I had to. He was going to take me to the Council. I wouldn't even get a trial."

Aiden walked over. "What are you doing here wizard? You are supposed to be finding the Crown." He was getting angry himself. "I'm loosing my patience." He set Bob's skull on the ground and reached out a hand. His staff flew into it and he pointed it at the skull. Bob backed up and licked his lips nervously.

"Wait!"

Aiden just glared at him. "You are wasting time. You will do as you are told wizard or you will regret it. " He shot his staff at Bob's skull. Bob screamed in pain as he was knocked all the way across the room.

"Hold on!" yelled Harry. "Just wait!"

"I want you to see something else." He lifted a hand and a portal opened. Susan was sitting on a park bench talking to a man. Harry looked at him and then at Aiden.

"He is one of my men. He's keeping Susan company." He looked at Harry. "Do you get my point?"

"Um yeah. I guess I do."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"You're wasting time wizard. What are you doing here?" Aiden paced back and forth in front of Harry, his whole being wanting to rip him apart. He was stalling and Aiden knew it. Well two could play that game.

"Do I need to call my man and have him take the girl out somewhere isolated?"

"No, just wait."

Aiden turned to Bob. "You better convince him ghost, or you're all going to be very sorry." He picked the skull up off the ground, just in case Harry got any idea's. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute but don't try anything. You've got that bracelet on and I'll know if you do." With that, Aiden turned and walked into another room. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his friend.

"Are you ok Bob?"

"I think so. Tell me Harry. What good is it being a ghost if you can still be hurt. I didn't think I was supposed to feel anything anymore, but everytime he does something to my skull, he does it to me."

"I know. I'm going to get you out of here."

"How?"

"I don't know yet." He looked at Bob. He was a ghost, he thought but he looked awful. "Bob, I can't do what he's asking." Bob sighed. "I know."

"I can't let him get that crown, or relic or whatever it's called. If he does, there will be no stopping him. I can't go back to my apartment because if Ancient let's Morgan out, he'll have my ass, and I can't let any of you be hurt anymore." He rubbed his hands down his face. He needed a shave. He looked up at the portal. Aiden's hitchman was still talking to Susan and she didn't have a clue of what kind of danger she was in.

Aiden walked back in. "Well," he addressed Bob. "Did you convince him?"

Bob opened his mouth to speak but Harry stopped him. "I'll get the damn relic, but I need my tools."

"Forget it."

"I can't fight the demons without them. Come on! I'd never win." Aiden considered him for a minute. "Fine. You can have your staff."

"I need them all!"

"You can't have them all. Do you think I'm a fool?" Harry wanted to answer him but held his tongue. He wanted to tell him that hell yeah he was fool. and he could think of a few other choice words to say but decided it best to keep quiet. Aiden grinned. He waved a hand and Harry's staff flew to him. He held it out to Harry, who took it and before anyone could react, he took the silver goblet out of his pocket and sat it on the floor. "Ventrious ferliso!" He yelled as he gathered his energy into his staff. Blue fire shot out from it and into the goblet. A haze formed in the cave that was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Without waiting for it to clear, Harry ran over and grabbed Bob's skull and yelled for him to get inside. Bob obeyed and quickly entered. Aiden screamed in rage as Harry ran for the cave opening, Bob in tow. When he reached it, bars came up over the opening.

"NO!" Harry yelled and shot the staff at them. The electricity ricochet off of the bars and hit him square in the chest. He screamed out in pain as he was knocked back. He fell hard, the blow knocking the wind out of him. He was barely conscious.

Aiden stormed over and looked down at Harry at his feet and he was fit to be tied. He looked at the bracelet on Harry's wrist and waved a hand. It began to glow and when it did, pain like he'd never felt before flooded his body. He yelled out again.

"HARRY!" Bob's skull had rolled back over to Aiden's feet and he picked it up. Bob was still inside. He started to come out but Aiden forbade him. He called the shadows. When they appeared, he gave orders to pick the wizard up, which they did and held him between them.

Aiden stalked over to his prey. "You should not have done that wizard. You will find me the crown but first, you will be taught a lesson, along with your friends." He looked at the shadows. "Prepare him!" Aiden left on a mission and carried Bob with him, taking no chances and vowed to be back soon.

Harry tried to scream after him. To beg, if that was what it took, but he was having a hard time forming words and right at that time he was fighting not to pass out. If he did, it was over for all of them. He still had a plan up his sleeve, but he couldn't concentrate. He squeezed his eyes closed to push down the panic but they jerked back open when the shadows began carrying him back over to a wall. They chained him to a wall and waited for Aiden to come back and gleefully waited for the pain they knew was going to com


	11. Chapter 11

Here you go folks. Enjoy.

Chapter 11

Harry tugged at the chains but couldn't get away. He tried majick but it wasn't working. He didn't have anything left. He could barely concentrate and he still fought not to pass out. He had to stay awake. His head was pounding and his chest started hurting again. All in all he was beginning to feel like crap.

Aiden came back in and stalked over to his prey.

"Loiado!" said Harry but nothing happened except for a thin puff of smoke that appeared in front of him and then disipittated. "Shit," he thought. He was in some serious shit. Aiden just stood in front of him and for a minute or two glared but then he said, "My man took the girl wizard."

"What? I told you I'd get the damn crown! If you hurt her I'll..."

"You will what?" Aiden walked over to a table and picked up a ceremonial daggar. It was forged for the gods to do more than just cut their prey, and then he stalked back over to Harry who just looked at it and him.

"You won't do a thing. If you do, the girl, What's her name? Susan? She will be hurt. She has no idea who she is with and what kind of danger she is in, and she won't as long as you behave. You get me the crown and I will order him to leave her alone, and she will be none the wiser. You don't..." He let the words trail off. it was just as well. Harry didn't want to hear what he had planned for his girl. He almost choked on that thought. Susan was his girl. His girl, and he'd be damned if he would let her be hurt.

Harry's eyes snapped back to Aiden when he hit him hard in the face, busting his lip. He winced, refusing to cry out. He wouldn't give the dark wizard the satisfaction. He glared and Aiden just laughed. He took the daggar, and placed the tip at his throat. "Pay attention." Harry went stone still, not budging. He was afraid to even blink. Aiden made a small cut, not much, but just enough to cause pain. He closed his eyes and winced again.

"Do you know what this is wizard?" Harry opened his eyes and looked at the monster before him. "Um, a knife?"

Aiden laughed again. "Not just a knife. A daggar. It was handed down from the gods through the generations. It cuts, that's a given, but it does more than that. Here let me demonstrate." He stood back and pointed the tip at him and shot it like a gun right past Harry's head into the wall, causing a dent. Harry flinched. He looked at the dark wizard like he was crazy.

"I told you I would get the crown. What else do you want?"

"I want you to quit stalling. I know you don't want to hand it over to me but you don't have a choice. I will have revenge on people and I will not be put off any more." He walked over and picked up Bob's skull and turned ominously back to look at Harry.

"What are you doing?" Harry licked his lips. "Don't. I'll do what you said but in order for me to do that, I have got to have my tools. The demons will kill me and you will never get what you want. Please!"

Aiden took a deep breath, his patience wearing thin. "Fine!" He lifted his hand and gestured to one of the shadows. It grinned and walked over to Harry. It took a cup and caught some of Harry's blood in it and walked it back over to Aiden. He grinned and snapped his fingers. The cuffs fell from his wrists. Harry rubbed them but stood where he was. Aiden took some of his blood. That can't be good, he thought.

Aiden put the wizard's blood on the table and picked up Bob's skull, just in case. He raised his hand. "Call your staff." Harry did and his staff flew into his hands. He just stood there and held it. He wouldn't try anything if Aiden held Bob's skull in his hand because if she shot at Aiden, he would hit Bob and Bob would feel it. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Where is my rod and bracelet?"

"Those you will not get."

"But..."

"No. I will not give you anything that you could use against me and just so you know?" He raised his hand. The gold bracelet on Harry's wrist began to glow and the pain shot through his head like a sledge hammar. It was just as, or even more than, a voodoo doll's power. He screamed and hit his knees.

"DON'T!" The pain was unbearable. He thought his head would explode. His chest started beating too fast and for a minute he thought that the dark wizard was going to let him have a heart attack but after a couple of minutes, he stopped. Harry fell to all fours. He dropped his staff and just tried to catch his breath.

"Get up," Aiden orderded. Harry struggled to get to his feet. He decided it not a good idea to argue, not at that time. He picked his staff back up and just waited.

"HARRY!" Bob screamed from his skull. He felt his friend being hurt and could actually see the pain that Aiden had caused him.

"Quiet ghost!" Bob fell silent. "So, have I made my point or do you still need some convincing?"

"I hear you." Harry felt defeated. Every way he turned somebody was after him. If Morgan got out, his ass would be toast. He had to try to stay away from Murphy or he'd have to give her some answers about the body she had. He only had a few more hours on that. A club full of demon's was after him and a dark wizard made it clear that he'd have no more fooling around. He looked at Aiden. "I don't suppose you would at least let me take Bob with me, would you? I could use his help to find the crown."

Aiden just looked at him. Harry took a deep breath. "I didn't think so."

"No more playing around Dresden. I have no more patience for you. You find me the crown and bring it to me or watch as I destroy everyone that you care about. You will behave. You will do as you're told. Do not contact me again until you have it or you will be sorry. Now go while I'm feeling generous. In a little while I may not feel like letting you walk out of here."

Harry looked at his friend in Aiden's hands and shook his head. He looked up at the portal and saw Susan and the man with her. He had to do what the man wanted. Without a word, he left the cave and went in search of the Relic. He'd still be damned if he would hand it over without a fight, but first he had to find it.

In the cave, Aiden set down the skull. "Come out ghost." The skull glowed and Bob came out. He was fit to be tied. He glared at the man before him. Aiden, without a word, picked up the cup with Harry's blood. "What are you going to do?" Aiden didn't answer. Bob watched as he took a container and emptied it in the blood. There was no label on it so Bob didn't know what it was, but he was pretty sure it wasn't good.

"If you hurt him," warned Bob.

"Oh I am going to hurt him ghost. What the hell are you going to do about it? You have no substance. You use to be a mighty wizard, but now you are nothing. All you can do is watch." He lifted his eyes and locked them with Bob's. "Watch ghost," he said and stirred the contents, mixing it with Harry's blood. "Watch."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"What are you going to do to Harry," Bob asked nervously. He wished to God he knew what the contents of the vial was that Aiden poured in the goblet with Harry's blood. "He can't get the Relic if you harm him. How is he supposed to obey you if you incapacitate him?"

Aiden thought for a minute. "Damn, the ghost was correct." He sighed and sat the vial down beside the goblet and then turned to Bob. "You're right, but he better obey. I'm tired of him stalling."

"Why don't you go get the Crown yourself? You're very powerful, always have been but you decided to use your magic for evil and not good. All the power that you have, and this is what you do with it. Go get the Relic or the Crown or whatever and leave Harry alone."

As if it would be that easy, thought Aiden, but said, "Unfortunantly, I'm not able to do that."

"Why not?" Bob pleaded with all that was in him. "He's going to be killed. He don't have his tools. The demons that have it..."

"The demons don't have it," Aiden said, cutting Bob off.

"What? Then who does?" It finally hit Bob. Aiden was playing a game. A sick game, and he was using Harry, and him and Susan as pawns.

"My brother has the Crown." Aiden leveled his gaze at Bob and was happy to see the shocked expression on the ghost's face.

"Eliel?" Bob couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Eliel has the Crown? That can't be. Eliel is dead."

Hah, Aiden couldn't help himself. He laughed out loud. "Eliel is very much alive. He has the crown."

Bob shook his head. "Then why are you sending Harry after the demons?" The sick game just got sicker.

"Because when I was cursed, Eliel is the one who cursed me. Because of that curse, I can not go get the Crown myself. My precious brother put a spell on it and everytime I try, it causes me pain. When our father found out what he had done, he locked Eliel up with the crown to make sure that neither my brother or the crown could cause anymore problems."

"Then ..."

"Enough! I've told you all that I am going to tell you. "Get back in your skull."

"No." Bob just glared. "Why are you sending Harry after a demon, when that demon doesn't even have what you want?"

"Because my brother wants Harry's essence!" Bob just stared at the man in shock. "What!"

"That is all I'm telling you. When my brother get's what he wants, I'll get what I want."

"Wait a minute. You don't need Harry to get the Relic?"

Aiden took a deep breath. He might as well tell him the whole thing. He wasn't going to be returned to Harry anyway. That was just a lure, to get Harry to do what he said. Aiden wanted Bob for his own evil purpose. He was going to make Bob belong to him. "My brother will give me the Relic in exchange for Harry's soul, but Eliel is locked in a void and can't get out. The demon, who is a bad ass by the way, worser than I ever thought about being, told my brother if he get's Harry, He will let Eliel free, and my brother will then give me the Relic." Aiden looked at Bob and grinned evilly at the shocked look on his face.

"So you're just using Harry as a pawn?"

"Very good," said Aiden, "now get the hell back in your skull."

"NO! I have to warn him." He took off running toward the door, but Aiden grabbed the skull and placed both hands on the sides of it and squeezed. "Lario!" he said and the grip became strong, almost superhuman. Bob screamed and grabbed his head. The pressure that was being placed on his skull was also on him. He fell down on all fours, the pain almost to much to take. Aiden stalked over and glared down at him. "YOU WILL NOT SAY A WORD, GHOST!"

"You can't do this!" yelled Bob and winced in pain as Aiden brought it on more. He began to pant heavily, if a ghost could pant, that is. "You're just using him! WHY!"

"Because it's what my brother wants. If he get's what he wants, I get what I want." He let up on the pressure then walked over to the goblet that contained Harry's blood.

"NO!" yelled Bob when the dark wizard picked up the vial again. "Don't hurt him!" Aiden laughed.

"You're a fool ghost, do you know that?" Bob watched as Aiden poured the contents of the vial into the blood and then used the ceremonial daggar to stir it, while Bob looked on in shock. He tried to stop him, really he did, but he didn't have any essence and is hands went straight through the wizard. Aiden grinned sadistically and said, "You know who that demon is?"

Bob shook his head. He didn't know what to say. Aiden continued to grin. "Lucifer, my father." Bob's mouth dropped open. "Please," he begged for his friend. Aiden smirked. "By the way ghost, this potion is not for Harry."

"Who's it for," Bob asked but was afraid of what the answer was going to be.

"YOU! The vial contains a herb that causes amnesia." Aiden continued to smile at the look that Bob was giving him. "LOREILA!"

Bob hit his knees once again and screamed bloody murder. Five minutes later he got back to his feet and looked around. "Where was he? What was he doing there? He tried to think but he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts were jumbled and he couldn't make any since out of them.

"You do not know anyone by the name of Harry Dresden. Do I make myself clear." Bob nodded as he continued to stare at Aiden and then he became whole.

He walked over to the goblet and drank the contents, and looked loving at his Master. Aiden touched him on the shoulder. "Now you belong to me!"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Harry looked across the street at his apartment building. He needed to go inside. The staff he had, rested at his side. It was better than nothing, he thought, but knew it didn't matter, it was all he was going to get. He took a deep breath and crossed the street.

He entered his apartment and looked at the door to his basement and wondered if Morgan was still down there.

"DRESDEN!" yelled Morgan and Harry winced. That answered that question, he thought and decided that he could not wait any longer. He looked at the bracelet on his wrist and cursed. He could tell Morgan and maybe get some help, but Aiden would know and hurt somebody he cared about, and Morgan wasn't exactly his friend. He'd probably not even listen to him and take him to the White Council just for the principle of the thing.

He jumped as his phone rang. He rushed to answer it.

"Hey Harry, got anything for me?"

"Shit," thought Harry. He had forgotten about Murphy.

"No, I'm still checking into some thinngs."

"You're still checking into some things? Are you kidding me? Dresden I've got a dead body and I need to know what killed him. What the hell is taking you so long?"

Harry sighed. "I'm trying Murph, just give me a little more time."

"You have two hours and that's it!" Murphy slammed the phone down. "Well, that went well," said Harry.

"DRESDEN, you get me out of here this instant! I know you're up there! I can feel you!" Harry sighed again, and went down to the basement. Morgan was fuming. He was still in the circle, and he was supremely pissed. He sneered at Harry when he entered the room. "When I get out of here," Morgan said through clenched teeth, letting the rest of the threat trail off. Harry got the message loud and clear.

"I didn't have a choice Morgan. You were going to take me to the Council."

"Well I'll tell you what Dresden, let me out of this circle and I won't take you to the council." Harry looked at him. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I'll just kill your ass myself, now let me the hell out of here!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I can't Morgan and I can't explain why but I will let you out as soon as I can. I just came back to get a few things that I'm going to need." He walked over to the table and grabbed them. He rubbed his hands down his face and tried to drown out the cursing and threats that Morgan was spewing in his direction.

He took a piece of chalk, red wine, and some ashes and put them in his bag. He was going to do a locator spell, but everytime he tried, he came up empty handed. He took all his things, and gave Morgan another look, and then listening to how Morgan was going to kill him when he got out, he left to go back up to the living room.

First he needed to get Murphy off his back. When he had went in to look at the dead body, he took a piece of the man's clothing. He decided that Murphy didn't need to know that, because then she would arrest him for messing up a crime scene.

He drew a circle on the ground and then entered it. He placed the goblet of wine, north and the ashes, south. He stood in the middle and concentrated, while holding the piece of cloth that he'd stolen from the body. "Alie arventeriou!" he said. He held out his hand and his staff flew into it. "Show me," he said to the tool. The end of the staff began to glow and suddenly the curved end, became like glass. A picture formed. A picture of a man, sitting on his bed in a motel room. He had just gotten off the phone with his girlfriend and was just about ready to go to bed. He walked into the restroom and looked in the mirror, and then screamed as a demon flew out of it and jumped him.

The creature was ugly, it had warts and cuts on it's face, and hands that were claws. He was huge and had muscles everywhere. Harry watched as the demon attacked the man, and tore out his heart and then he used his claws to cut out his stomach. The man died and the creature began to eat. Harry opened his eyes and looked around. Morgan was downstairs and was still yelling all kinds of threats and curses. He hoped to God that Ancient didn't come to let him out. He didn't have time to fool with Morgan right now. He knew what killed Murphy's man. It was a demon, a nasty one. He'd never seen it before and hoped he'd never see it again. The man was a sacrifice to the demon's God. He called Murphy to tell her the news but he forgot to say a protection spell and the same demon came into the apartment.

Harry gawked. The thing was even bigger than it looked like in his vision and his muscles were massive. Harry backed up.

"Hello wizard," said the demon. "Somebody wants to see you."


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you all are enjoying it. Here is the update!

Chapter 14

Harry stepped back a couple of steps, trying to stay out of arms reach of the demon. He was a wizard, true, but as he sized up the thing, he felt a ripple of power coming from it and he wasn't so sure that he'd win the battle against the creature. His powers were strong, but he knew the demon's was stronger. He could feel it.

"Who wants to see me," he asked nervously. The creature grinned. "None of you're business. You'll find out when we get to where we're going."

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry," he replied, "but I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Oh but you are. You just don't realize it yet." He stepped toward Harry, who took several more steps back and opened his mouth to say something. He didn't get the chance.

"DRESDEN," yelled Morgan, as he ran up the stairs. He was beyond pissed.

"Shit," thought Harry. "This is just friggin great!" When Morgan reached the landing, Harry just stared at him. All he could think was, how the hell did he get out of that circle?"

Morgan sneered, "I finally got in touch with Ancient and she let me out," he said as if reading Harry's thoughts. "She's not very happy with you."

"Is she ever," thought Harry. Morgan advanced on him. "Now, do you remember when I told you that you better hope I didn't get out?" He took another step toward Harry, who was almost backed into a corner. "Well, I'm out."

"No kidding."

The creature turned toward Morgan and Morgan toward the creature. The demon narrowed his eyes. Morgan paid the threatening look no mind. He looked at the demon but spoke to Harry. "You and me have some things to discuss."

"Morgan, I'm....." The demon cut Harry off and addressed Morgan. "You are mistaken little man, the wizard is coming with me."

Morgan laughed. "No he's not," he said. I have somebody that really wants to talk to him."

"So do I," the creature replied and he and Morgan faced off.

Harry looked from one to the other and decided that while the two were trying to decide who got to pound him first, he should probably try to get away. He looked around. His staff was at the door to his right. He thrust out his hand to summon it to him, but he demon anticipated the move and thrust out his own hand. Harry stood, both amazed and afraid, and watched as the staff flew into the demon's hand instead of his. He cursed when the creature grabbed it and pointed it at Morgan. The demon willed his power into the staff and electricity flew from the end and hit Morgan dead center, knocking him all the way across the room to crash against the far wall and crumple unconscious to the ground.

"Son of a bitch," yelled Dresden and attempted to make a run for it. He didn't get far, however, before the demon turned Harry's own staff on him. He froze and threw his hands up in the air, palms out, in surrender. "Ok, wait," he said fearfully. The demon's eyes got two shades darker than they were originally and his voice became low.

"Now, since I got rid of that annoying person, where were we?" Harry looked at Morgan and shook his head. The demon had his staff and Aiden had the rest of his tools and all in all he realized that he was in some deep shit.

"Look...." He tried to speak but the demon stopped him.

"Quiet," it ordered, before Harry could say anything else. He closed his mouth. The demon stalked up to Harry, who now had no where to go. He had been successfully backed into a corner. He looked to Morgan, hoping that he would be able to help, but the warden was still out cold.

The demon walked straight up to Harry and got in his face. "You will do as you are told. Turn around." Harry swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat and stood his ground.

"I don't have time for games, wizard, my Master wants to see you."

Harry stared at the creature and tried to speak. "Who..." His words stuck in his throat. Harry cleared his throat and tried again. "Who is your Master and what does he want with me?"

"You will know soon, now turn around." When he still made no move to comply with the order, the demon grinned evilly and grabbed him by his arm, spinning him around and causing him to smack, face first, into the wall. He kicked his legs apart and searched him, making sure that he had no other tools that could be used against him or his Master. When he finished, the demon pulled him away from the wall and held tightly onto his arm. Harry struggled to get away, but the demon's grip was too strong.

The demon then raised his free hand and waved it in front of him. A black hole opened up in Harry's living room floor and he shook his head. "Are we going to the Never, never?"

The demon cackled and said, "No wizard. The Never, never is paradise compared to where we are going?" Before Harry could say another word, the demon shoved him hard and he fell down into the hole. He hit the bottom with a thud and for a couple of minutes he couldn't move, because the impact knocked the breath out of him. It hurt like hell, but he jumped to his feet and tried once again to run.

The demon was on him in a second. Harry swerved as the demon reached out to grab him and yelled, "Lucinio!" A light sizzled in front of him, but didn't touch the demon. It seemed liked Harry's powers were weak down there and he couldn't gain any ground.

The demon grabbed Harry's arm once again. He tried to move, to jerk out of the demon's grasp, but suddenly he could hardly move at all. He felt like he was stuck in thick mud and it was weighing him down. He couldn't get away. "Where am I," he asked.

"Hell," said the demon and Harry gasped. All he could think of was the shit just got deeper.


	15. Chapter 15

Hey all, Sorry. I had to re do this chapter. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Chapter 15

Harry tried to get away but the ground was like quick sand and the demon grabbed him before he got far. "Now you wouldn't be trying to get away now woulyou wizard?"

"As fast as I can."

The demon laughed. "You're not going anywhere. Somebody wants to see you." The demon grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed. Harry winced because the demon's grip was superhuman and he thought that he would break it, but all he did was look at the gold bracelet. It fell off. Harry just gawked. The demon dropped his hand and shoved him toward the city. "Let's go." Harry stumbled but righted himself before he could fall.

He got a few feet ahead and turned. "Fugerio!!!!!!!" He lifted both hands and pushed at the air. It was supposed to push the demon back so that Harry could get away but it didn't work. Again it was just a little fizzle and it didn't touch the creature. It did, however, succeed in making the demon mad. He still had Harry's staff and he pointed it at him now and shot, throwing Harry backwards until he hit a tree trunk. He fell to the ground and just stayed there. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this. If his powers wouldn't work then what was he going to do?"

The creature walked up to Harry and glared down at him. "Let's get something straight, right up front, shall we? You're powers will not work down here and the only thing that you are going to do is end up getting hurt more than you have to, now do you want to try that again?" Harry looked up at the thing and shook his head. He wanted to, but he wasn't about to let the demon know that. The element of surprise was always best. Harry knew that something had to work down here, wherever here, was, he just had to find out what.

"Good," said the demon and jerked him to his feet. "Now let's go." He shoved him again. Harry didn't have a choice so he tried the old fashion way of getting away. He turned again and threw a punch at the demon's head. It connected with his face and the demon's head just snapped back. There was no other movement. When the demon looked at Harry this time, he wasn't just mad, he was furious.

"Shit," Harry said nervously and started to run. If he could get away, he might stand a demon growled. Harrry turned to run but didn't get far. Two normal sized, and one larger sized creature blocked his way. He tried to use his magic again but it wouldn't work. None of the creatures wore a shirt but they did wear robes and they were the ugliest things that Harry had ever seen. They all held long poles tipped with metal blades which were wicked looking. That was the first thing that Harry saw. The second thing that he saw was that they were all looking at him with expressions on their faces showing him that they didn't like what they saw.

Harry swallowed hared. "Hold on." They started moving forward. Harry turned to run back the other way but the other demon was behind him. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled and took off through the three that were coming after him. He head butted the one in the middle and got past them all. He started to run. He had to find his way back to earth. He heard a shout behind him in a language that he didn't understand and before he even had the opportunity to trip and fall all by his-self, something large and heavy fell across the back of his head.

Harry never quite lost consciousness but the blow stunned him. He slammed into the ground, the impact taking the breath out of him. More blows landed on his back and kidneys, forcing him into a fetal position.

They pulled his arms out behind him, and painfully bent them backwards and thrusts a wooden stick between his body and his elbows. They tied his wrists behind him with a rough rope. They pulled the rope between his legs and tied it behind his neck so he couldn't straighten his back.

He lay there for what seemed like hours, feeling the blood rush through his skull and feeling the burning throb from his kidneys and the bruises across his back. Occasionally a muscle spasm would attempt to straighten him, and the rope around his neck would attempt to strangle him. He just lay there.

The demon that originally brought him to that place, walked up to him once again and the three others stood on the other side of him.

"Now that we have your attention." The creature that brought him here said. "My Master wants to see you."

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Back on earth, Aiden had said a spell that would cause a mirror to show him where Harry was. Bob was standing off to the side. He was whole, but Aiden kept the skull because he still had to have that to keep Bob there.

Bob looked on with interest. He cocked his head. "Who is that?" he asked. Aiden grinned. "Harry Dresden."

"Who?"

Aiden's grin got bigger. "Just a trouble maker. He's getting what he deserves." Bob nodded and understanding and Aiden thought, "As soon as my brother get's what he wants, I'll get what I want and a whole hell of a lot of people will pay.

Harry looked up at the four, from the ground. He was so sore he could hardly move. They beat the crap out of him and he didn't want it to happen again, so he waited. One of the demons grabbed him and jerked him to his feet. He prodded him with a stick and forced marched him toward the town. Harry had to concentrate on staying upright, keeping his view confined to a narrow strip of road in front of his feet. He knew that if he was in Hades or Hell, the road that he was on was called Styx and he hoped to God that the demons were just pulling his leg.

Every few minutes he would wonder, "Why are they doing this to me?" But the question fell to the necessity of placing one foot in front of the other quickly enough that the demons wouldn't pull him over. In this world they moved faster than in the one he came from and it was hard to keep up. The nightmare seemed to last forever. He kept time by muttering profanities while trying to figure out which particular spell would work down her in this world. This was when he missed Bob the most. Bob had been around for a long time and new things that Harry had never heard of.

He missed Bob for that reason, but that was not the only reason. He missed him because he was a good friend. He hoped that Bob was ok but was afraid he wasn't. He had to figure out a way out of there. He had to help his friends. He had no doubt in his mind that Aiden would hurt them just because he was Aiden. He was a dark wizard, afterall, and that was what they did. He pulled his mind back to where he was when he almost fell and decided that he probably needed to pay attention. He needed to find out where he was going and he also needed to look around for some means of escape.

Harry was in the process of calling the quartet a bunch of shit kicking ass holes when they stopped suddenly. For a few panicked moments he thought that they must have developed supernatural hearing and had heard all the names that Harry had called them on their journey to wherever the hell they were going, but after they stopped, Harry began to hear an unfamiliar voice. He raised his head, slightly, not enough to have the rope tighten on his neck, and stared through the beads of sweat that ran down into his eyes.

The lead demon, for lack of a better word, came back from his place at the front of the line, and started talking to a new demon, that was currently shooting daggers in Harry's direction. The new guy was dressed in a black robe. He had a red belt tied around his middle and somekind of ring on his finger. The lead demon acted like the new guy was his boss, or was somehow over him. The guy had a scarlet cape draped over the black robe and Harry knew that this guy was important in this world.

The demon wore a black hat on his head and whether he could or couldn't, he chose not to speak in English, but spoke in some unknown language that Harry had never heard of before. One minute the thing looked like he could kill Harry, but the next, he ignored him completely. With the exception of the one that brought him down to this world, the other three stood back from the new guy and did not look at the creature, but at the ground in front of him, almost in reverence.

All four of the demons looked like they had just been pulled over by the cops. Harry looked at the new guy more closely. He was armed. While he talked to the lead demon, one gloved hand rested on a sword that hung from a broad belt that rested on his hips. Harry also noticed a pair of tasseled cords that hung from his left shoulder across the left side of his chest. One was silver, the other was gold. It looked like some indication of rank, like he was a general or Cheif of police or something.

""Well hell," thought Harry. "That's just great!" Who the hell was this guy? He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer or not.

The demon that brought him here, also spoke in an unknown language but Harry knew that he was talking to the general about him because he kept gesturing toward Harry with his arms, so Harry knew that he was the topic of their conversation.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The officer, as Harry decided to call him, made a desisive sound and spat on the ground. He couldn't believe the others were bringing the wizard to him. He shook his head. The officer stepped toward Harry . He reached out a gloved hand and lifted Harry's chin so that they were eye to eye. He shook his head again. "Humans" he thought disgustedly. He cocked his head to the side as he realized that this human had a gift.

The rope cut into Harry's neck as the officer said something in his gutteral language that could be a question.

"I guess it would be to much to ask for you to be able to speak or understand english?" The creature didn't say anything. Harry continued speaking. "You have to know english." The creature didn't answer him. The officer lifted Harry's chin a little more causing him to wheeze against the rope. It was cutting into his neck and cutting off his air supply.

The officer stared at him. Harry notcied that he was dark skinned and had the features of the other demons who still had not made a move toward the thing or even lifted up their head to look at him. They stayed back, almost in reverence. The lead demon continued talking.

The officer said something else to Harry but he just couldn't understand. The officer then said something else and got in Harry's face. Harry's eyes began to water. This guy's breath was rancid. "I guess that's a hell thing," thought Harry but didn't dare say it out loud.

The officer turned back toward the demon that brought Harry here and shouted something to him. The demon stared back, and glared at Harry, then said something to the other three that were there. One of them walked up and took the rope that the lead demon had and all Harry could do was thank God. It looked like he was about to let Harry go and for about a minute he thought that the ordeal was over.

The officer walked back over to the one in charge and the two other ones had a heated exchange. Then the officer reached into a pouch that was hanging from his waste and pulled out two coins. He handed them to the demon who looked at them with distaste. "I'm not really believing this," said Harry to himself. "I think I was just sold into slavery."

The demon said something short and monosyllabic and waved dismissedly in Harry's direction. The officer walked back up to Harry and withdrew a dagger from a sheath that was hidden by the folds of his cape. He said something in his gutteral language, pointed it at Harry, then rested his free hand on the sword at his side.

It was pretty clear. Harry was this guy's responsiblity now and he wasn't going to take any shit from him.

"I swear I don't understand it but I'm pretty sure this ass hole just bought me," thought Harry and groaned.

Bob walked back into the large room of the cave. Aiden was no where to be found and Bob was glad for that, now maybe he could get some of those questions answered, like who is the guy in the mirror and what had he done that was so bad that he would be punished for it and why does the name Harry Dresden seem so familiar to him. After he'd taken that last drink, all the thoughts that he had been having vainished and Bob knew that it must be because he had been drugged.

But why? Why would Aiden drug him. Who was the man really and why does he also seem so familar to Bob. He rubbed his head. All the thoughts kept running through his mind and he was beginning to get a headache.

He walked over to the mirror and it was just that, a mirror again. Bob bit his bottom lip and wondered how to make the glass show the stranger again. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Could he do it? How? Suddenly, out of no where, a word came to his mind. "Sergentio!" he said and raised a hand. He watched, fascinated, as the mirror became a portal again. He watched the goings on before him and wondered who the man was and why was he being punished. Bob just didn't understand it but that man looked so damn familiar to him. He just sat there and watched and hoped that Aiden didn't come back. He had already tried to leave the cave, but he was bound to his skull, even now, and was unable to leave without that. Did that mean he was a prisoner? He racked his brain trying in best to figure it out in his head, as he watched the portal before him.

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Harry was still trying to figure out if he'd been bought like a slave or what, when the officer grabbed the rope at his neck and cut it free with the dagger. Harry straightened up and the pole between his back and elbows fell free to clatter on the gravel roadway. He stretched. His neck muscles felt as if they were on fire. He wanted to rub his neck but his hands were still bound behind him, and the officer made no move to cut that rope. It didn't look like he was going to either, so Harry just rolled his neck, trying to get out the kinks.

The officer replaced the dagger, and picked up the free end of the rope, the end that had been tied around his neck. The other end still bound Harry's wrists. He looked at the creature dead in the eye and decided he needed to try again. "VALENTERIA," he said loudly causing the officer to stare at him. For a few minutes, nothing happened but then a light came from Harry and hit the creature dead center. The creature grunted but other than that, the light didn't faze him, except to make him mad as hell.

"Big mistake," thought Harry as the officer walked up to him and hit him hard across the face. Harry flew backwards and hit the ground hard. The creature walked over to him, and towered over him. He glared down at Harry as if he could murder him. He placed his hand on his dagger once again. '

"Wait," said Harry. "Ok. I get it. I won't do that again." The creature growled and jerked him back to his feet. He had fell on his bound wrists and now the left one was hurting badly. Harry didn't think it was broken but he knew it was sprained.

The officer looked at him angrily and for a second, Harry thought he was going to hit him again. So far the creature hadn't spoke one word of english, but Harry sure understood him. "Do it again and die!" Harry took a deep breath and looked around. Off in the distance he saw a city. It was dark and forboding and evil looking and all Harry could think of was don't take me there.

The officer said something and pulled on Harry's rope. Harry sighed and followed the man's lead. The officer led him away from the main road and headed him to a dirt road off to the side, that made its decent toward the city. "Shit," thought Harry. "Looks like that is exactly where we're heading."

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"Bob!" Bod jumped at the angry sound of the man and turned to see Aiden behind him.

"What are you doing ghost."

"I'm not a ghost any more," said Bob and stepped toward the man but Aiden just grinned and pulled out his skull.

"No, but you're still bound to this." Bob stopped. Aiden spoke the truth. As long as Aiden had Bob's skull, he still had Bob and there was nothing he could do about it, or at least he didn't think there was but his thoughts were all jumbled and he just didn't know.

"Now, answer me. "What are you doing?"

"Just watching the stranger." He kept his mouth shut about why. He was going to try to remember. He needed to remember. Aiden poured him another drink and handed it to him. Bob took it and scowled down at it. "I'm not thirsty."

Aiden placed both hands on the side of Bob's skull and started to squeeze. Bob screamed as pain shot through his head and it was at that moment that he rememebered that he was indeed a prisoner. Now if he could just remember who he was and who the stranger was.

"Drink it anyway," ordered Aiden. The pressure on Bob's head got worse and he did the only thing he could do. He drank.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The officer took the end of Harry's rope. Harry opened his mouth to say something but the look that the creature gave him made him close it again. He swallowed hard. The officer shook his head and headed him down a narrow dirt track that headed away from the main road that they were on and descended down to the city that Harry was positive he didn't want to go to. He thought about using majik again but decided not to, not until he foud something that actually worked on the demons. He thought he would try to speak again.

"Thanks for saving me from the others. There's not no telling what they were going to do to me. I really appreciate it." He shook his hands so the rope swung a little between them. "Any chance of you cutting me free?"

The officer turned and said a few incomprehensible words that Harry couldn't understand, but the look on his face told him the answer anyway. "No."

"Can you at least tell me where I'm at? The others said I was in hell. Is that right? Why am I here?'

The officer ignored Harry as he led him over another hill. When they reached the top, Harry stopped in his tracts, causing the officer to stumble. He jerked the rope and said a few more words and even though Harry didn't know what he was saying, he had the strangest feeling that he was being cursed out.

There, standing a few feet in front of him were three more creatures and all Harry could think of was that this just keeps getting better and better. How the hell was he supposed to escape from all of them and how many of them were there, in the first place.

The three creatures that stood before him dressed almost like the officer did except they weren't decorated like the officer was. They wore all black robes and each had daggers hanging on their belts. When the three heard someone coming, they turned in unison and watched as the officer came over to them with Harry in tow. They started shouting questions at the officer in the same type language that the officer used. The officer shouted back at them. Apparently, Harry thought, they were not to happy that he had brought the prisoner along.

They surrounded him and began to study him with curious eyes and hands.

"None of you has never seen a human before, or is that you've never seen a human who is a wizard?" Harry was beginning to get worried about these guys. They seemed fascinated by his looks and the clothes he wore and suddenly Harry felt like a lab rat in a lab.

"Come on you guys, what's going on? Why am I here? What do you want? Haven't you ever seen a human before?" He was getting more and more nervous. He kept trying to get their attention but one of them, getting tired of him talking, slapped him hard across the face. The officer held him still while one of the demon's searched him. Harry continued trying his best to get them to talk to him in english. He was beginning to miss the demon that brought him to this God-forsaken land. At least he could talk to that one and he understood, but these, he just didn't know and it scared him.

They took his keys, his watch and his wallet as well as all the change he had on him. Everything went into a little sack. The one that searched him hardly gave any of his things a passing glance but he seemed fascinated by the photo's in Harry's wallet. He flipped through them until the officer said something sharp, reprimanding him. After that, everything went straight into the bag.

When it was over, the officer grabbed the bag and the end of the rope and marched Harry to the top of one of the hills. This guy now seemed pissed and Harry wondered why. The officer tied the end of the rope to a stout tree bout 15 yards away from the remains of a campire. He checked Harry's hands and then turned to the others. His group looked disgruntled as the officer laid into them with what had to be one hell of a dressing down. He gestured with the little bag and pointed at Harry a few times.

Harry swallowed hard and began to wonder what was going to happen to him.

After the outburst, the quartet finally sat down. After a while they started chatting quietly among themselves, passing a wineskin around and ignoring Harry.

"Any of you figuring on just letting me go with a warning?" Only the officer looked in his direction and his expression wasn't pleasant. Harry shut his mouth. The officer shook his head and turned back to the others.

"Great," thought Harry and tugged at the rope, but beyond a foot of so of slack, it wouldn't budge. Harry couldn't keep quiet any longer. "What are you bastards planning to do with me?"

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Bob watched the scene unfold in the looking glass. Since Aiden made him drink that drink again, he had not left Bob's side and everytime Bob would began to wonder who the person in the mirror was, Aiden made him forget again.

"What is it you don't want me to remember Aiden?" Bob turned his attention toward the man. "Who is the man and why does he look so familar?"

"He's just somebody that needs to be punished and it's really none of your concern."

"It is when you keep trying to make me forget. I know that man, don't I?" Aiden took a deep breath, his patience wearing thin. The potion wasn't working any more. Bob was remembering despite Aiden's majic to make him stop.

"That's Harry Dresden," he said to Bob. "He's a trouble maker and he's getting what he deserves."

"Harry Dresden?" Bob racked his brain. Why did that name seem so familar. "I know him, don't I?" Aiden crossed his arns across his chest. "Why the hell wasn't that potion working?" he thought.

"He's my friend,"said Bob. "I serve him."

Aiden grinned a sadistic grin. "He is your friend and yes you do serve him, but you'll never see him again. I have possession of your skull and because of that, you now serve me. Just like Aladdin and his magic lamp."

"I don't serve you. I never will." Aiden took Bob's skull and pressed inward hard. Bob screamed in pain and hit his knees. "Oh yes you will wizard, oh yes you will."

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Carmichael walked into Murphy's office. "Dresden is not at his apartment and hasn't been there in a while. He killed that guy Murph and now he's on the run." Murphy just didn't buy it. Harry wasn't a killer but she couldn't explain where the man was and what he was doing and the fact that she was a cop and had to do her didn't matter. She shook her head. "Put and all points bulletin out on Harry Dresden. He's wanted for murder." Carmichael nodded and went to do her bidding.

Murphy sat down at her desk and leaned on her hands. "Where are you Harry," she said out loud. "What have you done this time?"

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Morgan sat at the table in the restuarant with Ancient Mai and watched as the woman devoured some barbeque ribs. When she hadn't heard from the man in a while she went looking for him and found him in Harry's apartment. She was not happy. Harry had crossed the line and she would have his head.

"Find Dresden, Morgan, and bring him to me. The White Council has some things to discuss with the wizard. He is not to get away." Morgan grinned and went to do her bidding. He was ecstatic. Dresden would finally get what he deserved.

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Susan walked up the walkway that led to her apartment. Andrew walked with her. She really liked him, she thought, then she thought about Harry. Where was he and why hadn't he called her. She turned as Andrew kissed her on the lips and all thoughts of Harry went out of her mind. Little did she know that Andrew worked for Aiden and that as soon as he got the word, Susan would be killed. He looked at her and smiled but thought about his boss. "Get the crown Aiden. There will be no stopping us.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Harry tugged, but only managed to get his hands to fall asleep. The ropes weren't coming loose. He was going to use his magic to get out of them but he thought better of it. Until he found a spell that worked down there, he'd just get the crap beat out of him again. He leaned back on the tree.

Fortunately , the officer had tied the rope close to the ground, so Harry wasn't forced to stand. Harry bent his knees and half sat, half fell on the flat white rock at the base. He sighed with relief. His leg muscle was so tight that they were vibrating and his body ached from the exertion and abuse he had suffered over the past few hours. He thanked God that he was able to sit and rest.

"At least tell me where the hell I am?"

Even if they could understand him, they were making a point of ignoring him now. [i]What the hell am I going to do? None of this is making any since. He stopped trying to get their attention and started looking around, trying to get as much information as possible about his surroundings. He needed to remember everything so that when he got away, he would know which way to go. If he got away.

It was late in the afternoon before anyone started to notice him again. The officer and his men stood up and looked down the road. Harry followed their gazes to see four new men leave the road and start heading up the hillside. Changing of the guards,"[/i]thought Harry and then proclaimed loudly. "Shit! Tell me what the hell you want with me?"

The officer glared at Harry and he quickly shut his mouth before they decided to hit him again. There was a lot of handshaking between the two groups of guardsmen. They were all dressed similarly, in the same outfit but they looked like they had been made at different times.

The leader of the new group had the same cords and decorations as the his officer but this creature's was silver instead. The two leaders met by grasping each other's forearms, pulling together and quickly breaking away, almost in a macho hug. Then the Harry's officer faced the three that were with him and slapped the new guy on the shoulder. Harry thought it looked like a salute of some kind and the three creatures that were with the officer did the same.

Then the new guy looked toward where Harry was tied and started asking questions. The conversation lasted awhile.

At the end of it, the new officer took a good look at Harry, but didn't approach him. He gestured toward the stones that were around where Harry was tied and spoke infatically. They creatures nodded their head in approval as if the new officer had spoke great wisdom.

Harry's officer came toward him with dagger drawn while his men picked up their gear. It took a lot of effort for Harry not to cringe as the blade approached but he still closed his eyes as the officer bent over him. Harry knew that if the officer wanted to slit his throat, he would have had plenty of time to do that in the last four or five hours but still, in his gut, he expected to feel the steel of the blade bite into his neck, but all he did do was cut the rope that bound him to the tree.

Harry's officer gestured upward with his dagger, telling Harry to get to his feet. Harry complied and got unsteadily up. It wasn't easy since he didn't have his arms to help him, and the officer didn't make no move to assist either.

"Couldn't you at least tie my hands in front?"

The officer had turned around and shouted something back at the men. There was some laughter and the officer had to repeat himself. The demon that had looked in Harry's wallet stepped forward with a sullen expression. The other creature stepped forward and slapped his shoulder in a salute. Then the officer handed the new officer the end of the severed rope. Harry's new escort gave him a look of pure disgust.

"What now," said Harry but didn't get an answer. "So what did I do to you?" The new officer actually stepped back and put his hand on his sword. Harry looked at him. [i]Ok, maybe it's time to shut up.[i][/i][/i]

In the cave, Bob was got unsteadily to his feet. Aiden had left the room and had taken Bob's skull with him and because of that, Bob couldn't get away. He shook his head to clear it of the cobwebs and racked his brain, trying to figure out how to get out of there and help Harry.

He walked toward the opening of the cave, thinking that if he was whole again, maybe he could walk out and go get Harry but as he went to do just that, Aiden came back inside. "Where are you going Bob?"

"I'm going to help Harry." He turned to face the dark wizard and hoped to God he remembered how to fight.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"No, you are not going to be able to do that," said Aiden as he turned to stand directly in front of Bob. It was a purely threatening gesture which is exactly the way Aden meant for it to be. "The wizard if of no concern of yours. He is being punished."

"For what? What did he do?" Bob racked his brain trying his best to remember but the drink that Aiden gave him really packed a punch and everything was jumbled in Bob's mind.

"None of your business. I'm going to make us another drink." Aiden turned to do just that but Bob stopped him. "I don't want anything else to drink. I'm going to help Dresden. I don't think he's done anything wrong." Aiden became enraged and threw the cup that he had mixed the new drink in, at Bob's head. Bob lifted his hand and a blue light shot out of it and hit the cup and its contents and knocked it back against the far wall. For a minute Bob couldn't do anything. He was shocked. "Did I do that," he asked out loud. The look that Aiden was giving him was one of pure hate which answered Bob's question completely.

Suddenly everything came back to Bob. He looked at Aiden and then toward the mirror which had once again became a looking glass. He saw his friend being led down a narrow path to a dark and foreboding town. "He won't find the Relic there," said Bob, as he remembered why Harry was down in that place to begin with. "The demons don't have it."

Aiden grinned snidely and then his grin became a sneer. "No, they don't have it. Isn't that just too bad?" He pulled Bob's skull out of the bag that was hanging around his neck by strips of cloth, and sat it on a table beside him.

"You have to get him out of there." Bob was nervous because he remembered everything. He remembered that he himself was a prisoner of Aiden's and that he was whole. He also remembered what Aiden told him about the crown and why Harry was where he was at. He remembered where the crown was too and what Elial promised to do if he got Harry for him. Suddenly he became afraid.

"He's not going anywhere," said Aiden. "Some people want to talk to him about some things."

"What things? Please, I have to go help him. He don't have his tools and his magic won't work there. They'll kill him."

"No wizard, they won't kill him. They just want to deliver him to my brother and then my brother will be set free and he will give me the crown which I will use to control the world!" He threw his head back and laughed evilly and Bob thought that the man was surely crazy.

He faced off with the dark wizard. Aiden turned toward Bob once again and lifted a brow. "I can't believe you remembered. You weren't supposed to."

"I remembered you loathem son of a .....?

"Watch your mouth Bob. It's not healthy for you."

Bob glared at the man. "I remembered something else also."

"You did? And what, may I ask, is that?"

"I remembered that you are not the only wizard in this cave." Bob threw out his hand. Light shot from his palm and straight into Aiden's chest. The blow knocked the dark wizard all the way across the large room. Aiden growled and got back to his feet. Bob turned to the glass. "Hang in there Harry. I'm coming."

"I don't think so," said Aiden and yelled, "feriviou bletoris!!!!!!!!" Bob screamed out in pain and hit his knees. He started having trouble breathing. Aiden ran over to get Bob's skull and turned toward the man on the ground. Aiden knelt down on his knees and slammed the skull into the ground, which in turn, slammed Bob into the ground. He landed hard on his back and before he could move Aiden rushed to the fallen man's side. Before Bob could do anything, Aiden placed a heavy booted foot on Bob's chest causing the wizard to get still. Aiden smiled triumphantly, "Now, what were you saying?"

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Throughout this whole time, Nate's officer and that of the new guy had worn masks that covered their face but now both creatures removed them and looked at each other. Harry gasped. They looked exactly alike. The creature that had got Harry after the demon brought him down to this God-forsaken land came over toward the two officers and also removed his mask. Harry shook his head. His officer's twin saw Harry, and his eyes widened. The creature quickly looked away and muttered something to himself.

"What the......?"

A gloved hand backhanded the side of Harry's face. He turned, spitting blood, to see his new escort staring at him. He shouted something incomprehensible to Harry and looked pissed.

"Ok, Ok. We don't spook the locals. I get it." He spit again. He wished his hands were free, to probe his jaw to see if anything was loose.. The FBI or the Secret Service would definitely have been the better alternative.

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Murphy stood in the hall, drinking a cup of coffee and tried to figure out where Harry would go and why he would run. The police had been looking for him, to arrest him, non stop but so far they had not turned up anything. In her heart she knew that there was no way that Harry would do anything against the law but she was a cop and she would do her job. She would bring Harry in and question him. She had to find him first. It made her mad that she had not been able to find him. She hated to admit it, but him running sure made him look guilty. If she only knew.

She called Susan a half a dozen times but she had not seen or heard from Harry in awhile. Murphy hated to admit it but she thought that he must have something to hide. "Shit!" she yelled and turned to Carmichael, who had come up behind her. "Let's go," she said.

"Where to," asked her partner.

"To find him," replied Murphy and the two left to do just that.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Ancient Mai paced in front of Morgan while he just stood waiting. She was upset and so was Morgan. How dare Dresden imprison him. How dare he! Finally she went to sit down and got a drink on wine.

"Where is he," she asked the warden.

"I don't know," Morgan replied. "I've looked everywhere for him and he's just disappeared.

"He's around somewhere," she said. "Find him, and bring him to me." Morgan nodded his head and left. Finally after all these years, Harry Dresden would finally get what was coming to him. He couldn't way for that day to come. He had been waiting and watching and now the time had come.

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The narrow rode they were on started on an upward slope, edging toward the right side of a massive rock. They were now too close for Harry to see the whole city. Most of it was too high up to see it from this steep of an angle.

They walked own starting the spiral that wound around the massive rock. They then entered the gates of the city and Harry just stopped and stared. This was like nothing he had ever seen before. The whole city was made out of stone and the ground was dirt and gravel. Harry's new escort slapped him hard across the face again to keep him moving on toward the city.

"Cut it out!" He yelled angrily. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

The guard just glared and then tugged hard on Harry's rope. He stumbled, almost falling and started walking again. There were all kinds of creatures here and none of them looked human or even remotely resembled them. Harry shook his head and kept on walking when his guard tugged at his rope once again. "Holy shit," Harry whispered. He stopped and stood frozen again, staring, until his escort backhanded him again. He stumbled on not seeing much of anything anymore. He could no longer put this place anywhere on the Earth he knew. None of the creatures were human and Harry wondered where the humans were. If he was in hell, like the first creature, the one that brought him here in the first place had said, then where were the humans who had came down here when they died.

Even if Harry could ignore the elongated skulls with their fixed expressions, the oversized joints, their purplish skin...he couldn't ignore the fact that their arms and fingers had extraneous joints.

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Bob stared up into Aiden's eyes and suddenly everything that Aiden made him forget, came back again. Bob grinned slightly. He was a wizard. A mighty wizard, and there would be hell to pay.

"Get up," Aiden ordered as he removed his foot from the middle of Bob's chest. Slowly, very slowly, Bob rose to his feet. He kept his head down until he got completely up and then, without warning, he lifted up his head and glared at the dark wizard, making him take a step back. This wasn't supposed to happen, thought Aiden. He wasn't supposed to remember. Without another word, Bob threw his mind at the wizard and threw him back across the room to crash into the stone wall and crumple to the ground in a heap.

"I'm up," said Bob as he approached Aiden. "Want to fight?" Aiden got to his feet and grinned evilly at Bob. Bob grinned back at him. "So be it," he said and prepared himself. He hoped to God he was strong enough and remembered enough. If he wasn't or didn't, he would die today. He glanced toward the looking glass and watched as Harry entered the city of Hell, then he looked back at Aiden. "Let's fight." They faced off and Bob said a silently prayer and then waited to see what Aiden's first move was going to be.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"So you remember." Aiden turned but kept his eyes on Bob. Bob turned with him careful to keep eye contact. Aiden had placed Bob's skull on the table behind him. If he could just get to it. He could grab it and get out. Aiden couldn't keep him there if he didn't have his skull or at least Bob didn't think he could. Some things were still jumbled in his head but was clearing up fast enough.

"Yes, you little piece of......"

"Watch your mouth ghost. I still own you."

"i'm not a ghost anymore, thanks to you. I know what I am and I know what I can do." Bob continued to turn with Aiden, never taking his eyes off of him. "You've never been able to stand against me before and you won't this time either. I'll reach down your throat and pull out you stomach."

"Bob you can't do anything unles I let you. Harry is where you can't get to him. I can. You don't want to fight me. You won't win."

"We'll see." Bob raised his hands and said an incantation. A ball of light and fire formed between his hands and he thrust it at the dark wizard, who growled and quickly jumped out of the way. He lost sight of Bob while trying to keep his ass from frying and when he did, Bob made his move. He reached out and Aiden's staff flew into Bob's hand. Aiden screamed in anger but Bob shot it at him and hit Aiden dead center. He knocked the man down and then threw the staff down. He ran over to the table and grabbed his skull and then looked at the looking glass. "Hang on Harry. I'm coming." He took one last look at Aiden and took off for the door of the cave.

Aiden jumped up and ran over to the opening but Bob said the word and bars appeared over the opening locking Aiden inside. Bob knew he had to hurry because the spell would not last long but he had to get to Harry.

"When I get out of here wizard, you'll pay!" yelled Aiden and paced back and forth waiting for the spell to end so that he could get out. He looked at his staff and called it to him and then attempted to shoot the bars but the spell belong to Bob and Aiden just had to wait. He didn't have a choice, but mentally he put Bob's name on the list of people to get even with when he got the crown.

"I'll get out of here ghost and then I coming for you!"

Bob hurried back to Harry's apartment. He had to figure out what spell would send him to hell. He shuddered at the thought. "Hang in there my friend. I'll get to you." He rushed on into the night heading back home and doing what he had to do while he still had time. When Aiden got out, Bob knew he would pay. He knew the dark wizard's power first hand and shuddered at the thought of what was going to come.

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After circling the rock twice the path fed into the plateau city on the side opposite the mountains. The road widened until it reached a huge flat area that jutted out from the side of the rock.

Two large towers flanked the road where it fed into the city. A bridge connected the towers, high above the road, and Harry could see signs of some sort of mechanism that was designed to fall across the road, blocking any were armed guards watching from the tops of these towers and Harry knew that escaping from there would not be easy, wizard or not.

There were several gates and Harry naturally headed toward the larger one, but he was corrected by a sharp tug on the rope binding his hands. He turned and the escort with the rope looked like he was getting ready to hit him again. Harry tried to look nonthreatening and they headed for one of the side gates. There was an iron door covering it and the guard that was leading them pulled on a chain hanging from a small hole in the wall above the door.

Harry heard a distant bell ring and they waited. As night ascended on them, all the doors to the various gates began closing and a large hole appeared before them, blocking the way they had come. They stood there for what seemed like hours but finally the door in front of them creaked opened. The light from a torch filled, filtering on them as a man in a crimson and black dress stepped out. Harry gawked. Again it wasn't like any man that Harry had ever seen before.

After a short conversation with the lead officer the man stepped aside and they all entered the city. The door led into a hallway that had been carved out of the rock. The walls were solid stone, polished smooth as concrete, and suddenly everything became a blur. Harry couldn't follow where they went after that or exactly what was happening. They moved through corridors that were lined with guards all wearing the crimson and black robes.

"Where were they," thought Harry and how was he ever going to get out of there. There were too many of them to fight even if he was a wizard, He wouldn't stand a chance. He would be killed. He followed where he was led because he didn't have a choice and prayed that Bob or somebody would come after him. For the first time since this weird journey began, Harry was scared and didn't know what to do.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

After what seemed like miles of sameness, they led him to a narrow staircase. This was the third one and like all the others, it took them downward. It was getting hotter as they continued to descend and Harry began to sweat. The stairs led them through a gothic archway and into a long chamber. Light came from an iron candelabra that bore decades worth of wax drippings. There were no electric lights there, at least none that Harry could see. There were only candles and torches lighting the way. The heat became stifling and Harry was beginning to have a hard time breathing.

As he entered the chamber there were guards on either side of the archway, guarding the room. There was a stone table of some sort up at the head of the room and two more guards stood on either side of it, guarding it. Behind the stone table a "man", for that was all Harry knew to call him, stood with a large bound black book opened on the table before him.

Unlike anyone else that Harry had seen so far, this creature did not wear the black and scarlet dress that all the others were wearing. This one wore a plain brown robe with a hood resting on his shoulders. A blue cord was wrapped around his waist. He was different than the rest. Harry knew this because the officer in charge, the creature with the two gold braids did not approach him or even speak.

Every time up to now, this guy, the one that brought Harry from the original creature had acted like the one in charge. Every one had shown the guy some sort of respect. He spoke first and told the others what to do. Not here. Here the officer waited for the robed creature to acknowledge him.

After a few minutes, at least a full minute beyond the point where he knew he had visitors, the robed man took out an elaborately embroidered ribbon and laid it across the book. With the bookmark placed, he closed the book and turned to face his visitors.

The man or creature was old and had the same features as Harry's handlers had. His skin was maybe a shade lighter. He wore a multitude of rings and his face was scarred. The scarred face looked like it was done on purpose as some sort of right of passage or something. They looked like the same patterns that the columns in the room had on them. Harry didn't get a good look, however, because the man pulled the hood up over his head. He did it quickly shadowing his face as if to hide the disfigurement.

Only then did the man speak and he didn't sound like he was all that happy about being interrupted. In fact, thought Dresden, the man both sounded and looked thoroughly pissed. The officer said something to the man and pointed his finger at Harry. The two of them went back and forth with some type of question and answer dialogue.

While they talked, Scarface, as Harry decided to call the creature, walked up to him. The new guy was tall. Harry had about an inch in him and that was all. He grabbed Harry's chin and lifted Harry's face so he could look into his eyes. Harry winced because the creature's rings dug in to where he had been backhanded. There were scars on the guy's hands as well. The guy's face was still too shadowed for Harry to get a good look.

Suddenly the man let go and shook his hands as if they had been soiled. He barked something at the officer and held out his hand. The officer produced the pouch that had all the things that they had taken from Harry. Scarface didn't even look inside the pouch. He just walked over and placed it on the stone table. Then he turned around and pointed at Harry, barking something at the guards.

By now, Harry was sweating profusely and breathing through his mouth because it was so hot. If he'd ever had a doubt before, of where he was, he didn't doubt it now. He was in hell and in all appearances, his goose was cooked.

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Bob ran until he thought his lungs would burst but finally he reached his destination. He was home and he gave a silent thank you to the powers that be. He unlocked the door to the apartment and went inside, and ran straight in to Murphy.

She jumped at the contact and turned to shove Bob away but stopped when she saw that he had backed off on his on.

"Hey," she said.

Bob walked around to the kitchen table and placed his bag that contained his own skull on it and then turned. He knew who the cop was, he'd seen her here plenty of times but she didn't know him because he had been a ghost, now he wasn't and she was looking at him like he had committed some kind of crime.

"Hello," answered Bob. "I'm Bob. I'm a close friend of Harry's, and you are?" Murphy grinned and folded her arms.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Murphy," the cop said. "I am detective Murphy of the Chicago police department. Bob huh? Ok Bob, tell me where Harry Dresden is."

Bob looked at the woman and decided that even though he knew she was also Harry's friend, she was here, at the apartment, in the capacity of police officer. He studied her and knew that he could not tell her the truth. Even though she used him for her strange cases and even though he had the word "Wizard" on his door, he knew that Murphy didn't believe it for a second, so he played dumb, deciding that if he told her the truth, she'd have him fitted for both a straight jacket and a padded cell.

"I don't know," he answered instead. "I came here to see him and he wasn't here. Have you seen him?" Murphy smirked. This man, she decided, was hiding something.

"No, I haven't. Are you sure you don't know where he is?"

"Posiive. Why? Is he in some sort of trouble?" If only she knew, he thought.

"Yes. He's wanted for murder."

"Murder?"

"Yes."

"Harry didn't kill anybody officer. He's told me about you. You are supposed to be his friend."

"I'm also a cop." She took a card out of her pocket and handed it to Bob. "If you see him, you give me a call, understand?" Bob didn't answer. He watched as Murphy left. He let out the breath he was holding and ran down to the basement. "Hang on my friend. I'm coming." He began gathering the supplies he would need for the spell. "I'm coming."

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There was a quiet pause and the robed firgure shook his head as if he couldn't believe the locals. He spoke again and this time he sounded pissed. Harry understood nothing he said but the impression he got was, "Listen to me you bastards or there's going to be trouble."

Harry's officer didn't want trouble. He barked orders at the rest of the crew and suddenly Harry found himself surrounded by a trio of naked swords all pointing at him.

The lead officer took out his dagger and stood behind him. Harry felt the ropes cut free from his wrists. He stood there a moment, not quite sure what he should do. Pins and needles raced across his palms as blood rushed back into his hands. Very slowly he brought his hands forward and started rubbing feeling back into them. The swords still pointed at him.

"What," he asked.

In asnswer to his question a brown robe was tossed at his feet. Harry stared at it until he felt a sword poke his side. He looked at the guard who poked him. Big surprise, he thought. It was the same guy who had backhanded him. The guy said something and gestured with the sword, first at Harry and then at the robe.

"You're kidding," said Harry.

They weren't. They made it clear that they now considered his clothing as much contraband as the stuff they emptied from his pockets. After repeated sword pokes, Harry had to strip down everything from his black duster to his boxers. They didn't even let him keep his socks.


	24. Chapter 24

Sorry it took so long to update. Here you all go. Enjoy!

Chapter 24

Standing there naked in the stifling hot air made Harry realize just how much of an alien he was in that place. He didn't know why, but it seemed to be getting hotter and hotter and he was having more and more trouble breathing. His tall angular body, pale skin and brown hair were completely different than the ones that were surrounding him. He got more than a few stares from the guardsmen and he suspected that they would be chattering away if it weren't for the presence of scar face.

Harry looked on uncomfortably at the swords that the creatures had, dropped down to a point right below his waist and it made him wonder if circumcision was practiced here. They glared at him and he slowly bent and picked up the robe that had been thrown at his feet. It was damp and rough and smelled funny. He would have preferred going naked, despite the stares, but he doubted that he could convince his hosts. They seemed dead set on him putting the robe on and Harry wondered if it was part of a ritual that they practiced here before they killed their guest.

The rough woven fabric itched against his skin, and after 30 minutes Harry was convinced that the fabric was host to some insect colony that found him rather tasty.

Scar face picked up everything that Harry had worn and placed it all in a pile next to the pouch the officer had given him. Then the creature walked around the altar and bent down. When he straightened up, he held a red mask in his hand. Facing away from them Scar face lowered the hood of his robe and put the mask on. Harry noticed that Scar face had white hair that was thinning enough that he was able to see the patterns carved into the skin of his scalp as well as his face. The mask had its own hood of black fabric that covered the back of Scar face's head so that Harry then only had a glimpse.

Scar face turned back around and faced them.

The mask was blood read and decorated with inlaid gold and ivory. It had bulging eyes and a gaping fanged mouth that almost made the creature look like a vampire. The nose, however, was long and hooked and the chin was pointed. Harry noticed a change in the room when the mask was on. The guards around him straightened somewhat and appeared to be at attention. Scar face's posture was more formal than before he'd put on the mask. His body language lost the characteristics of annoyance and disgust and if anything, the loss of those human characteristics made Scar face seem more intimidating.

Scar face spoke something in a language that Harry swore had not been spoken until now. He didn't speak above a conversational tone, but something in the words that he did speak made Harry feel sick. It seemed like he had heard that language before but couldn't remember from where. As Scar face spoke, Harry saw him gesture with his hands. They were almost too quick to see and looked to Harry almost like the creature was typing in the air.

The words themselves were odd, monosyllabic, spoken with no emphasis of reflection. As if someone was sounding out a random string of letters, or chanting something from memory.

Scar face spoke that way for less than 10 seconds, but the words seemed to add a physical weight to the air around Harry. Harry looked around and saw that all the guards had backed up all the way back to the entrance of the chamber.

"This can't be good," said Harry out loud and gulped when Scar face turned and glared at him.

Harry didn't want to be left with Scar face. With the guards he at least had some clue about what was going on. Scar face was frightening and alien.

Harry saw lights flicker in the rear of the long chamber, on the other side of the columns. The lights soon resolved into torches carried by other robed, masked creatures. In a few minutes, Harry was faced by a semicircle of brown robed creatures. All wore masks, though none wore any as elaborate as Scar face's. Their masks were blocked out in basic primary colors, mostly red and yellow. All had prominent noses and chins. Some had fangs. Some had beards, some had long tongues. All were variants of the devil face that Scar face wore.

"Okay guys," Harry whispered. "If we're doing a virgin sacrifice I have bad news for you....."

Scar face barked something. Unlike before his tone wasn't loud and irritated. The tone was one of command. Harry turned to see the guards back away, closing a set of massive doors behind them. When the doors slammed home, Harry felt the impact in his chest.

"Oh shit," he said.

He considered running, but there was the problem of where, exactly, he'd run to. The masked congregation might not be carrying obvious weapons at that particular time, but there were a dozen on them, half with torches. He couldn't outrun all of them, and he didn't think that it would be fun to be beaten half to death with a flaming club.

He considered using magic again but so far he hadn't found anything that would work there and they had made it perfectly clear that if he used his magic again, he would be seriously sorry. He stood where he was and waited to see what they were going to do and hoped to God that somebody would come to help soon.


	25. Chapter 25

Ok guys. Sorry it took so long but here is the update. Enjoy!

Chapter 25

Bob had taken all the things he would need to the basement. He wanted to look up the spell that would send him to hell. He was pretty sure he knew it but he was only going to get one chance and that was it. "Hang in there Harry. I'm coming."

After checking in the book of spells, he drew a circle on the floor and arranged the stuff he would need. His skull at the top, a lighted candle at the bottom and various bones and hairs on each side. He took a deep breath and started the incantation. "Hail, Hail fire and snow, for the ages I will go. On to Hell, please send me, as I will so mote it be." He raised his hands. In them was a chalice that was filled with wine, mixed with blood. He raised it up to heaven and then took a drink. Suddenly he got very dizzy and had to sit down. He didn't know if that was a part of the spell or not, but he sure hoped it was. "I hope you're ok my friend," he said and lay down in the circle. He waited for the journey to begin. He just hoped he had done it right. If he hadn't, then Harry was dead.

Two of Scarfaces followers carried in a heavy wooden trunk where they placed Harry's possessions. Scarface shut the box solemnly. They closed the lid and locked it with an elaborately carved padlock. Harry could see hints of the pattern that he had seen carved into Scarfaces skin.

Scarface spoke some more of that other language, when he closed the padlock. To Harry's eyes, the lock closed seamlessly and had no keyhole. He tried to get a better look at it but when he took a step toward it, the others surrounded him, and pressed in with their torches pointing at him. ."Ok," Harry said. "Stay where I am. I understand." Several of the guards that were around him, scowled at him and he quickly closed his mouth.

Once Scarface was finished with the trunk, and his croanies had hauled it away, he walked around the parameter of the crowd that now completely encircled Harry. He started talking in the speech that Harry had come to think of was their "common tongue." It was different that the speech the creature had used earlier.

Scarface walked around talking to the gathering as if he was a professor giving a lecture, or a staff sergeant barking orders. Harry knew that he was talking about him because even though he never gestured in Harry's direction, the crowd was studying Harry with every word.

After about ten minutes class was over and about two-thirds of the creatures began to file away. Two of them grabbed Harry's upper arms and faced Scarface as their leader gave them further instructions. The pair holding Harry nodded an understanding, the noses on their masks bobbing in a manner that Harry would have found comical if it wasn't so obvious that he was in some deep shit.

He turned to one of them holding him, "You guys don't speak English either, do you?" They ignored him.

Three more guards lit their torches and took the lead, while the pair holding Harry brought up the rear. They walked toward the back of the long chamber; where there were six doorways leading off in different directions. Of course they led Harry down the darkest, dankest corridor of them all. The air was hot and smelled of sulfur and Harry had to breathe through his mouth. The floor was slimy under his feet and every part of his body began to itch.

This was the part where he was supposed to use magik to get away but until he knew what would work, he couldn't. If he did, it would only be more trouble for him. He thought about a number of movie scenarios but none of them would work either. In his head he took the pair holding his arms, and swung them together so their skulls collided, which would render them conveniently unconscious. Then he would grab one of the torchbearers and head butt him senseless and throw the limp guy at the remaining guard.

Of course even in the fantasy, this was when the last guy brought the torch down on Harry's head.

When it came right down to it, there was nothing he could do until he could find out what worked down there without getting beat half to death. "God Bob, I really could use your help," Harry thought, but didn't speak out loud. He was afraid to do that for fear of the consequences, so Harry was the model prisoner, all the way down to wherever the hell they were going.

They took him down one stone corridor after another. The torches were the only light. After the third set of stairs going down, they came to a hallway lined with large wooden doors. They stopped and one of the torchbearers opened one of the doors.

Harry looked inside the room and the fear he'd had before didn't even compare to the fear he had now. "Oh shit guys, you're not going to put me in there?"

The room was 8 feet square with no furniture. The floor was covered with straw that looked black and green in the torchlight. Harry could see rats scurrying away from the light. "NO you sons of bitches, I'm not......Harry surprised himself at how suddenly the action hero option seemed doable. Probably because he'd been docile up to this point, he caught his captors by surprise. He managed to tear his right arm free to slug the guy on his left. He felt the mask crack as the parts of it sliced open a knuckle.

The one of the right grabbed at him and Harry elbowed him in the forehead. The move actually dropped the guy.

Harry was free of his handlers for all of two seconds. Then a burning weight slammed across the back of his neck, something kicked him in the face and three sets of hands tossed him into the fetid straw of the cell.

Harry scrambled to his feet as the door shut out the light. Harry fell onto the door and pounded on it with his fists.

"You bastards! I didn't do shit to you! You can't leave me in here!" He pounded against the unyielding wood. "YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME IN HERE!"

Of course they could.

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

After the first hour, Harry's fists were to sore to pound on the door anymore. After the third hour, his voice died. After the fifth hour, fatigue won out and he had to sit down. He didn't know what he was going to do. He had a thought and got back up to his feet. He walked to the door and concentrated. If he could get out, then he could run. He'd learned how to use his mind to unlock locks at an early age so he concentrated. He shot fire out of his hand and it hit the door lock, dead on, and then fizzled to nothing.

"SHIT!"

He spun around as he heard a noise. It was totally dark in the room, so much so that he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. He definitely heard something, though, and anger and hatred rose to score his throat as he recognized who the voice was.

"You son of a bitch," he said to the dark room. "What the hell do you want? I can't get the damn crown if I'm a prisoner. What the hell is your problem!"

Aiden walked up to Harry and glared at him. "You don't have to get me the crown wizard. I know where it is and I know how to get it back."

"Then why the hell am I here? Why have I been beat half to death more than once? Is Bob ok? He'd better be you ass hole or I will......" He yelped in pain as Aiden sent fire shooting into his chest. He hit the floor hard and laid their panting and trying to catch his breath. Aiden walked up to him. "Get up!" Harry looked at him like he was crazy. He didn't think he could move but fearing that the dark wizard would shoot him again gave him the incentive to do as he said. Slowly, obviously struggling, he got to his feet.

"Bob is a pain in the ass. My man went to visit Susan to tell her it's over between them."

"You're going to let them go?" Harry was hopeful, but all hope fell when he saw the wizard's face. "I'm going to let Susan go. I don't need her anymore."

"What about Bob?"

"I have a personal vendetta against Bob just at the moment."

Harry grinned, despite himself. "He got away from you didn't he?" Aiden smirked. "For now, but enough about me."

"Fine. If you knew where the crown was, why did you do all this?"

Aiden took a deep breath. "My brother has the crown."

"What? You have a brother?"

"Yes I have a brother but he is a lot worse than I ever thought about being. You'll meet him soon. Our father locked him away along with the crown so he could control it and us."

"Then why?"

"Because he wants you. When he get's what he wants, I'll get what I want and then they'll be hell to pay." Harry stared at the man before him. Fear creeped up his spine as he asked the question that he really didn't want to know the answer to.

"Who is your brother?"

"Elial," Aiden said simply and Harry stared. "No way! Elial is just a story." Aiden grinned. "No, Elial is my brother and he wants you. You have to go through my father to get to him though, because Elial and the crown are locked away. If he get's you, he can drain you of your powers, take your soul and then be set free. In exchange for me bringing you here and helping to release him, he'll give me the crown." He looked at Harry and laughed at the look of utter despair on Harry's face.

"If Elial is real," said Harry. "That means that...." He looked at Aiden not finishing.

"That is correct. Lucifer is my father and he wants you first."

"Why?"

"You are sort of a legend around here. You're a powerful wizard and with the right, shall I say, training, you'll be a great addition to the dark side."

"What? I won't turn evil, are you crazy!" Aiden glared at Harry. "You'll do as you are told wizard. Lucifer has ways of persuasion that I just as soon not elaborate on. I want you to be surprised." He walked toward the door.

"Wait a damn minute," yelled Harry. "You can't leave me in here. I won't serve the dark. The white council will have my head, not to mention that it's just plain wrong. I won't do it; you're going to have to kill me!"

Aiden laughed. "When my father and brother get through with you, there won't be enough of you left for the White Council to get a hold of. Goodbye Dresden. I'll be seeing you soon, if you survive the conditioning that is." With that he turned and walked out right through the wall.

"Wait! You can't leave me here!" He screamed as he began beating the door with his fist again. "NO! Bob if you're loose where in the hell are you! I could use your help buddy and quick!"


End file.
